


The Turn Of Tides

by DaniHapunkt



Series: The Story of Lily [2]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), Disney Duck Universe, DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Action, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bisexual Character, Blood and Violence, Crime, Developing Relationship, Diary/Journal, Domestic Violence, Drug Use, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Language, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Gay Male Character, M/M, Physical Abuse, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Slurs, Thriller, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniHapunkt/pseuds/DaniHapunkt
Summary: After escaping Negaduck and moving in with the terror that flaps in the night, Lily Bellefaire just wants to move on with her life. Despite all she's been through, and despite Drake's own past demons, they begin to fall for each other.But Negaduck hasn't forgotten either. And the dark, twisted fury of the Negaverse may be on its way to wash away the new life Lily's building for herself.Edited by AJtheBlueJay
Relationships: Drake Mallard/Original Character(s), Negaduck/NegaLaunchpad
Series: The Story of Lily [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690672
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

The banging on the door caught her by surprise. 

“Hey, are you awake?” Launchpad asked softly. “We, uh...well, it’s movie night and we’re about to sit down and start and I thought you might want to join?”

That explained the scent of popcorn. “What movie?”

“I got to choose so we’re watching Star Wars. I don’t know if you’re into sci-fi but-” 

“Which one?” Lily asked, now slowly getting out of bed. 

“Episode four,” Launchpad answered shyly. 

It had been three days since Lily was brought to Drake Mallard’s house. She had kept to herself and tried not to meet anyone on the hallway. They seemed like a perfectly normal family and Lily felt like an intruder. Crying her eyes out all the time didn’t help much to feel less miserable. 

“I’ll be right there!” She brushed through her greasy hair with her fingers, then deemed it beyond repair and tied it into a bun. She hadn’t changed clothes once since her arrival and searched for a replacement in her bag. 

She opened the door swiftly and tried to smile her tiredness away. Launchpad made it easy to lift the corners of her beak since he seemed to be always in a good mood. 

“I’m so glad you’re joining us! I was worried if you’re alright. We  _ all _ were!” he told her on their way down the stairs. 

“Is that so?” Lily wondered, looking at Drake’s tense expression when they entered the living room. 

“You can sit here!” Gosalyn pointed at the empty space next to her. 

Two hours, several “pew pew” sounds exchanged with Launchpad and a stomach-ache-inflicting amount of popcorn later, Lily wiped away another kind of tears. 

“I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun!” she giggled like a little girl. 

“ _ Really _ ?” Drake shot her a look. “And I thought being with Negaduck would always be  _ fun… _ ”

She instantly fell into her pit of despair again. Negaduck. Her ex...boyfriend? Ex-partner? Ex-crazy-psycho-abuser. That was the perfect definition. Why would he mention this name now? The moment she finally felt good even if it was just for a little while. From the corner of her eyes, Lily saw Drake and Launchpad exchanging looks. 

“Did they still have the movie on VHS when you were at Bellefaire?” Lily asked Gosalyn to push through the heavy silence. 

“They did! We watched it every month even though the tape was almost broken. It was all distorted like a horror movie!” The girl next tried to imitate the noises, gesticulating heavily. 

“Oh, it must be the same we had in my days there!” Lily scoffed. “You know, for years I thought this was the only movie and in my head I started imagining how the story could continue. When I found out about the other two, my mind was  _ blown _ !” 

“You know that there are more than three Star Wars movies, right?” Launchpad leaned over his chair. 

“Oh, I do. But I choose to ignore that fact,” Lily shrugged. 

“It’s getting late and we have a long night ahead.” Drake stood up from the sofa. “I’m gonna tuck you into bed, sweetie, and then we’re on our way.” He led Gosalyn up the stairs. 

“Good night, Launchpad, Lily!” Gosalyn shrieked into the living room. 

Lily sighed. “I shouldn’t be here. Drake doesn’t want me to be here and probably regrets his decision already.” 

“Give him time,” Launchpad reached over to her to pat her on the shoulder. “He’s always a bit...eh...special with new people. Especially after your history with Neg- uh, your past experience.” 

“So he’s just mad a woman can easily kick his butt?” Lily smirked. 

Launchpad laughed but didn’t reply. 

When he came down the stairs again, Drake had already slipped into his Darkwing Duck costume. He stopped almost not noticeable when he saw Lily still sitting in his living room. 

“I should get to bed.” She got up and smiled at the two men. “You two be careful out there.” 

Launchpad thanked her and Darkwing was at least able to muster a small nod.  _ Hey, that’s a good start _ , she thought and winked them goodbye when she went up the stairs. 

For the first time in weeks, she was able to fall asleep with the hint of a smile on her face. 

+++ 

Since her room was right above the garage, Lily heard the garage door opening and closing almost every time. She looked out of the window and saw Drake driving in with a car full of groceries. Running down the stairs was harder than she remembered but she did manage to make it to the garage by the time Drake came out of the car. 

“Here, let me help you!” Lily grabbed some bags from the trunk. 

“Oh, you don’t have to, really.” He tried to take the bags from her. 

She smiled, holding the straps tight. “I insist, it’s the least I can-” 

“Oh, Drake Mallard! Do you have a girlfriend?  _ Finally _ ! Just the other day I said to Herb that you can’t stay a bachelor forever!” a chicken lady glanced from over the hedge. 

“Urgh, Binkie, this is Lily, uh...McQuack,” he replied, lightly touching Lily’s shoulder. “She’s Launchpad’s cousin. Lily, this is Binkie Muddlefoot. My neighbor.” 

He winked at her. Lily’s heart made a quick jump when his face turned into a smirk. “Uh, yeah, I thought, I’d visit my cousin for a bit! Nice to meet you.” She took the woman’s hand. 

As they entered the kitchen to deposit their bags, Lily laughed. “Wow, and you scold me for being able to lie on the spot.” 

He raised his eyebrows. “When you live like me and have nosy neighbors like the Muddlefoots, you need to lie on the spot.” 

“So she doesn’t know about...you know...” Lily pointed behind her but at nothing specifically. 

“You mean my nighttime activities?! Absolutely not! And I intend to keep it that way,” Drake answered while they unpacked the bags. 

_ Nighttime activity? Last time I mentioned something like that, he flushed like a little boy, and now he describes his relationship with Launchpad like that?  _ Lily wondered when she handed him a can of baked beans. 

“Thanks,” Drake said when they were done, pulling her out of her thoughts. The way he had said it sounded so casual, so...familiar. 

“Huh? Why would you say that?” Lily felt a memory emerging. A memory that was not as unpleasant as she had hoped. 

“Because you helped me with unpacking and all?” Drake raised his eyebrows. 

“Right, of course! You’re welcome.” She felt dizzy and sat down, rubbing her temple with her hands. 

Drake put a glass of water on the table and placed himself on the opposite side. “You okay? Drink something if you don’t feel so good.” His face wandered from her tired eyes to her slender physique and back. She looked sick and malnourished. He noticed patchy parts in her feather coat where she must have plugged them out herself. The skin underneath was scratched and bruised. Launchpad had told him that he heard her crying almost every night. The fact that she was actively avoiding the rest of the family was evident. Even though he didn’t want to admit it to himself, he felt slightly sorry for the way he had treated her the past few days. 

“I’m good. I’m just-” Lily got up, felt her world spinning and sat down again, her shaking hands reaching for the water.  _ What is going on? Did they poison me here? No, that wouldn’t be his style _ , Lily sighed, taking a deep gulp. 

“Did you eat something today? Or yesterday apart from the popcorn last night?” Drake refilled the glass with fresh water. 

She shook her head and started scratching her arm, pulling out tiny feathers. 

Drake frowned. “Stay put, I’m gonna make us lunch.” 

The grilled sandwiches smelled delicious. Lily’s mouth watered even before he placed the plate in front of her. “Oh, this looks so good! I-I don’t know what to say! Thank you so much!” 

“It’s just some bread and stuff, not the key to the city. Now dig in,” he said a bit harsher than intended. 

“Did you hear anything from…” Lily asked him in between bites. 

He shook his head. “Nope, gone and vanished. Like your four other friends that helped you escape that night.” 

Lily looked at the second bread on the plate, suddenly feeling sick again. There he was, the Drake she had been waiting for. The one who would snap at her. At least this felt more familiar than the nice guy disguise he had put on before. The rattling of a motorbike being parked in front of the garage cut through the silence.

“Hey, guys!” Launchpad greeted them when he entered the kitchen, carrying a bag under his arm. “I got you your bike, Lily. And the stuff you wanted. Oh, sandwiches! Are you still eating that?”

Lily handed him the plate and took the bag. “Nope, but can I borrow some scissors?” 

+++

Holding her long blond hair under her beak, Lily took a deep breath and started the first cut. Pieces of it felt like straw into the sink.  _ You think you can kill me, babe? Well, come and find me first!  _ she shouted inside her head, cutting another huge chunk. When she was done, the woman in the mirror was almost a stranger to her. Her hair had not been this short since she was a child. Which might be due to the fact that she was too lazy to cut it. _ Part one done, now it’s time for the next step.  _ Shaking the bag, a tiny bottle fell on the ground. ‘Brown hair dye - nonpermanent’ the label said. After reading the instructions, Lily started applying the smelly hair dye. 

+++

“You look so different!” Gosalyn exclaimed enthusiastically. She was just back from school. 

“It doesn’t look bad though,” Launchpad gave her a thumbs up. 

“That’s quite a drastic change,” Drake said. 

“Yeah, it’s called a disguise, buddy,” Lily winked at him. “But I’m sure a purple piece of cloth is sufficient too.” 

Drake mumbled something inaudible before walking into the kitchen. 

Negaduck wanted her dead. Well, he had to find her and she wouldn’t give up without a fight. He might be stronger than her but she was smarter, more cunning and knew when to lay low. She could feel it deep inside her. This was it, the start of a new chapter in her life. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Working on her bike fueled Lily with new energy. It had been out in the moody spring weather for a few days and was in desperate need of maintenance. She had given Launchpad a huge stack of money - Negaduck’s money - to go out and buy her not only hair dye and other necessities, but also a new phone, notebook and headphones. Now she was dancing through the garage, tightening screws and rubbing oil to the motor of her beloved bike. She yelped when she saw Launchpad standing in front of her, saying something she couldn’t hear over her loud music. 

“What?” Lily raised the headphones. 

“I said you look like you’re having fun!” the tall mallard smiled down at her. He really was very handsome and yet from what she had witnessed, very gay. Whenever she saw him with Darkwing Duck, his puppy eyes were undeniable. 

“Oh, yeah! Thank you so much for bringing my baby back to me! At least I have something to do now.” Lily placed a towel into his extended hand. He started applying oil onto the back rim. 

“She is a really fine lady,” Launchpad said, patting the bike on the seat as if it were a pet. 

“Oh, so you do notice the beauty of ladies?” Lily mocked him. 

“Rarely.” Launchpad winked at her. 

Lily grinned. “I figured from our first meeting. I wanted to ask you to come with me by the way. I didn’t know you were in a relationship back then.”

Launchpad blushed. “Er, but I’m not.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “No? But what about Drake?” 

“HUH?!” Launchpad, his beak now matching the flaming red hue of his hair stumbled backwards. 

“Oh! I see!” She laughed when she helped the huge man back on his feet. 

“I...he...well...” Launchpad started, “It’s not that I don’t want to! But he...I don’t know...I think he’s straight.” The last word was nothing more than a whisper. 

“What? The theater major is straight? No way!” Lily scoffed. 

“I know, right? But I’ve been flirting with him for months and nothing!  _ Nothing _ ! That usually doesn’t happen to me unless the guy is straight.” Launchpad sighed. “He did seem to notice you, though.” 

Lily tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the other day he said I shouldn’t get distracted just because there’s a beautiful woman in the house.” His beak turned into a sad smile. 

“Oh? Oh, I see, well I’m sorry to hear that but believe me, there is no way I would  _ ever _ fall for another egomaniac ever again. And I’m sure the feeling is mutual.” Lily turned away to hide her flushing beak. 

+++

“No! That is  _ not _ a word, Lily!” Drake yelled, slamming the dictionary on the desk next to the Scrabble board. 

Lily held her phone under his beak. “It is! It says so in the urban dictionary! Look!” 

“I don’t care for your stupid internet database! If it’s not in this book, it is  _ not _ a word.” Drake tapped on the book again to prove his point. 

“Alright, fine! You just don’t want me to get the triple word score, you sore loser!” Lily retrieved her tiles and sorted them into another word. 

“Well, I’m sorry if that’s news to you, but there are rules and regulations that we need to uphold. We can’t all just run around and rob and kill people,” Drake answered with a smug smile. 

“Dad!” Gosalyn yelled, like she did every time she heard one of those comments. He never seemed to miss an opportunity to call Lily out on her criminal past. 

“What? I’m just stating the facts here,” he answered like he always would. 

“Can we just play the game?” Launchpad sighed, brooding over the letters and trying to form a word. 

“Urgh, I’m going to bed!” Lily stated, getting up. 

Gosalyn held her down by the shirt. “No, Lily, please stay. We’re almost done! Don’t let a  _ big ol’ meanie _ get to you!”

Drake scoffed at the comment and Lily sat down again. 

They finished their game of Scrabble and then had to endure Drake endlessly rubbing his victory under their beaks. 

“Well, don’t be sad guys, it’s hard to win against me even on a bad day!” He bragged while putting down the lid on the box. “I mean, I’ve always had my way with words, obviously!”

Lily rolled her eyes when he started talking about his college education. It was easy to win when you undermined every word the only real competition puts down. 

The alarm went off in the house, signaling Drake and Launchpad that it was time to leave. 

“And you go to bed now, young lady! Just because tomorrow is a Sunday doesn’t mean you can stay up all night!” Drake yelled up the stairs. Lily rushed past him, still too bitter about him playing dirty in the board game to say anything. Gosalyn complained that she didn’t want to go to bed at 7 p.m. when Lily shut the door to her room. 

After an hour of DuckTube videos, Lily went down into the kitchen to grab a bite when she saw light flickering in the living room. Gosalyn sat on the sofa, watching a movie. 

“Hey sweetie, what are you doing?” Lily asked. 

“It’s super early, I don’t wanna sleep!” Gosalyn complained. 

“I see but is that movie really the right choice?” Lily recognized a huge amount of blood splattering on the screen. 

Gosalyn shrugged. “I have nothing else to do.”

“You wanna play a video game?” Lily pointed at the console underneath the TV. 

“Eh, I don’t know, it’s all kinda boring.” 

_ Tough crowd _ , Lily thought, asking herself how to entertain a ten year old. 

“Hey Gos, do you wanna play Minecraft? I noticed you have it on your PC upstairs.” Lily winked. 

“I do!” Gosalyn jumped off the couch, “Do you have it too?” 

“Yep, on my laptop.” Lily grinned, leading the small duckling upstairs. 

For the last three hours, Lily had been sitting on Gosalyn’s bed, next to the girl’s desk and computer and the two of them had built a small digital house and defended it against a horde of zombies. Unlike any other player, Gosalyn seemed to crave night time and the monsters in the game that were out to kill you. They had so much fun together, they forgot the time until the door was opened violently. 

“What is going on here?!” Darkwing Duck stood in the door, yelling. 

“Dad! Welcome home!” Gosalyn got up and ran towards her father. 

“What are you two doing? Did you look at the time?! You’re supposed to be in bed! And you!” He pointed at Lily. “How can you be so irresponsible and let her stay up all night! She’s a kid! She needs sleep!” 

Lily jumped off the bed, grabbing her laptop and charger. “I’m sorry Drake, we just had fun and-“ 

Before she could finish, Darkwing pulled her out of the room, slamming the door shut. “Stay away from my daughter! You’re endangering her!” 

“ _ Endangering _ ! Excuse me?!” Lily pulled herself from his grip. “She sat downstairs all by herself watching horror movies. Who’s the parent that left her alone, huh? We were just playing a game! A game for kids!” 

“I said stay away!” His voice was furious and again too familiar for Lily. She felt her chest tighten. Her breathing was heavier now and she had to lean against the wall. The world seemed to swim. 

“Just fuck off,“ Lily panted, sweat now dripping down her forehead. 

“Woah, are you okay?” Darkwing caught her and her laptop hastily. 

“Fuck you,” Lily whispered as she fell unconscious. 

+++

She woke up in her bed the next morning and emptied the glass of water next to her bed in one gulp. She didn’t remember putting it there. It was already 10 a.m. For a minute she wondered why she was still dressed when the events of past night came back to her. Why did she react like that? She was yelled at before and especially by Drake so why did she suddenly faint like that? It was probably the lack of sleep and food.  _ Urgh, why does he have to be such an asshat to me? _ Lily scoffed.  _ And why does this tone impact me so much? _

Lily felt her stomach growling and decided to get up and get something to eat. Maybe if she started eating healthier again, she wouldn’t be impacted by her memories and random triggers this much. 

She snuck into the kitchen only to find the family sitting on the big round table with a huge stack of pancakes in front of them. 

“Good morning! We weren’t sure if we should wake you up,” Launchpad explained and pointed at the empty seat between him and Gosalyn. 

The red haired girl seemed sleepy but grinned back when Lily ruffled her hair. 

“Coffee?” Drake asked her in a sharp tone. 

Lily nodded and thanked him. 

During breakfast, Drake and Launchpad recited their fight with Megavolt and Lily could feel Drake watching her reactions closely. So she decided to just keep on nodding and smiling nonchalantly. 

Afterwards, Launchpad and Gosalyn stormed out of the kitchen like they did after every meal to avoid doing the dishes. Lily stayed behind to help Drake. They started cleaning the plates in silence and watched the two redheads play in the backyard. 

When the silence was too unbearable, Drake cleared his throat. “So, about last night…” 

Lily didn’t wait for him to find his words. “Drake, I’m sorry. You were right, I shouldn’t have let her stay up so long, that was irresponsible.” 

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have,” Drake sighed. “But a little less sleep for a night won’t kill her. And thank you for spending time with her when I was gone. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry. When you get zapped as much as I did last night, your nerves are a little bit thin.”

Lily smiled at him, taking another plate out of his hand. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

“For what?” He raised his eyebrows. 

“I assume you brought me to bed? And put the water next to me? That’s really nice. I don’t know what happened. I guess I was just tired.” Lily frowned. 

“Oh, that!” She could see him blushing from the corner. “Well, I couldn’t just let you pass out on my floor. Launchpad would trip over you on his way to the kitchen for his midnight burrito!” 

Drake started laughing and touched her shoulder. When Lily looked down at his hand, he pulled it away quickly. 

“You’re a good dad, you know that?” Lily glanced out of the window and watched Gosalyn throwing a ball at Launchpad. 

“Oh, you know…” Drake’s eyes followed the curve of the ball. 

“No, I mean it. The orphanage was hell for me and you rescued this little girl before...well, before she might’ve ended up like me. That’s really admirable, Drake. You’re a hero and not just to this city.” Lily gently touched his arm and smiled at him. 

Drake stammered a few syllables and looked away, his beak now flushing heavily. 

“Anyway, I‘ll be in my room if you need anything,” Lily said when she walked towards the door. 

“Lily, wait!” Drake called after her. “It’s a nice spring day and you need some fresh air. Why don’t you join us in the garden?” 

With a bright smile on her face, she let Drake lead her out of the back door, feeling a light breeze and gentle rays of sunlight on her face. 


	3. Chapter 3

She looked so much like Lily and yet so different. She was shy, careful and reserved. Not a single swear word would leave her beak. Overall, she was a quiet duck and always seemed to be focused on either her notes or a book. 

Negaduck couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity when he was around her. She was clearly afraid of him, despite her upbringing as the daughter of the richest and most dangerous man on the planet. The almost unnoticeable jolt whenever he called her “Dr. McDuck“ made Negaduck smile. 

Maybe this was how it was meant to be, Negaduck asked himself when he looked at her. Maybe he had been meddling with the “wrong” Lily - even though he really had enjoyed the meddling.

“Nobody is allowed near her,“ Launchpad had told him once. “The boss doesn’t want anyone to even touch his precious daughter, though he is only interested in her brains. Her cousin, Donald, has been her bodyguard ever since his sister disappeared.”

Negaduck had asked him then why Scrooge McDuck would allow his precious jewel to assist him across the bay.

“There was an incident with another scientist over there in Duckburg and now she‘s here for a while,” Launchpad explained.

Negaduck didn’t believe in faith or in any kind of order to the universe, and yet he could see parallels to his counterpart in the other world. Shortly after Launchpad had been assigned to assist Negaduck, his counterpart version appeared alongside Darkwing Duck. Shortly after they had taken in the girl from the dead scientist’s lab, a similar looking girl could be found tagging alongside his purple twin. The circumstances under which they met seemed to be different, maybe, but he was sure that some parameters had to be the same. He wondered if this was due to the decisions Darkwing made, since Negaduck would have never taken in Launchpad, let alone a crying kid, and yet here they were. Did this mean that the other Lily was now found somewhere near Darkwing? And was this version now  _ his _ Lily? 

“Excuse me for saying this but,“ Lily started when Negaduck entered the huge living room of the penthouse. She sat on the sofa next to Gosalyn who was reading a book. “I think Gosalyn might need some extra care. She‘s too quiet for a girl her age. I mean, look at her. She‘s completely absorbed in this book now.“ 

Negaduck sat down on the huge sofa opposite to them and watched the girl closely. ”So? What do you want me to do? I don‘t know how the situation is for the rich and famous of Duckburg, but this is St. Canard, babe. Here, it‘s good old survival of the fittest.“ 

Lily nodded. “You‘re right, of course. I‘m just saying that she might be on the spectrum and have special needs.“ 

“Whatever,  _ doctor _ . Make her psyche your side project if you want. Now, get your ass over here! I have some notes I want to discuss.“

She got up, walked around the huge living room table and sat down a few feet apart from him. With a smirk, Negaduck pushed himself closer to her.

“Come on closer, babe. I won‘t bite...unless you want me to,“ he grinned, as his leg touched hers.

“Sir, please, this is very unprofessional,“ Lily gasped when he wrapped his bandaged arm around her.

He scoffed and withdrew his arm. “Alright, alright, Barbie. Relax.“ 

“Thank you. Now, I‘ve been thinking about what you said about my signature theory-” Lily started.

“Oh, it‘s not a theory. It works,“ Negaduck interrupted her with a nonchalant smile. 

Lily looked at him baffled. “What are you talking about?“ 

“Well, the particles that make up this universe have a certain signature, like you‘ve suggested in your PhD thesis. All you need to do now is swing them closer to a signature of a parallel universe and you got yourself a portal.“ 

“In theory, yes,“ Lily nodded.

“It‘s not just theory, sweetheart.“ Negaduck placed his hand on her thigh. He felt her stiffen under his touch. 

“Negaduck, please,“ Lily whispered, a sweet and familiar plea that made him remember previous joyful moments.

“I could show it to you right now, but first, you have to be  _ really _ nice to me.“ His hands wandered up her leg, spreading it slightly with force.

“Stop it!“ Lily whimpered.

“Come on! We used to have so much fun together.“ His hands were now dangerously close to her pubic area. 

Lily looked at the girl sitting opposite of them. “There‘s a kid in the room!“ 

“So? Like you said, she‘s retarded and doesn’t notice much. And she better get used to how things are in St. Canard anyway,“ Negaduck growled, his face now on Lily‘s neck. “God, I want to tear you apart, Lily,“ 

A coughing interrupted his wandering hands. Launchpad stood in behind them. Using his momentary distraction, Lily got up and ran to her assigned room. 

“What were you doing with that frigid cunt anyway?“ Launchpad was furious and yet he started to get on his knees right after he had brought Gosalyn into her room.

“I was just fooling around a bit! When was the last time you saw some innocent virgin her age wandering this city? Shit, she belongs in a museum!“ Negaduck laughed, enjoying the jealous glare of his partner. 

“Still,“ Launchpad now kissed his soft belly feathers, “leave her alone. If you want some pussy, go out and get some, but not her!“

Negaduck moaned. “Because she‘s your boss‘s daughter?“

“No, idiot!“ Launchpad bit down on his thigh. “I told you before, he‘s not my boss anymore. He just doesn’t know it yet. I don‘t want you to fuck someone who lives here. She‘d be in the way!“ 

Negaduck lifted Launchpad‘s face by the beak and looked into his eyes. “Ah, such sweet rage. Why don‘t you prove your loyalty then?“ With that, he pushed the big mallard‘s head into his crotch. 

+++ 

“Well, are you ready to remove the bandage?” Lily asked Negaduck with an almost cocky undertone. 

He held out his right hand. “And I thought you weren’t that kind of doctor.” 

Lily shrugged. “I’m not, but I have cousins and nephews who like to get into trouble all the time.” 

He winced, almost silently, when she removed the cloth, exposing his crooked fingers. 

“Alright, now stretch them slowly,” Lily demanded. 

“Yeah, yeah, this is not my first fracture, you know…” Negaduck rolled his eyes but did as he was told. The pain made him dizzy but it was also exciting. He looked at his fingers moving slowly and for a second he had the urge to hurt himself again, but that kind of behavior was long past him. 

Lily grabbed his hand and turned it. “Looks good so far.”

“Heh, you’re not bad yourself!” Negaduck smirked.

And there it was again, that cheeky smile he knew so well. It disappeared a second later but he could clearly see it.  _ Why can’t I get this stupid bitch out of my head? _ he scolded himself while the obvious answer stared him straight in the face.  _ Normally not my type but I gotta admit, she really is hot, _ he frowned,  _ and the crazy stuff she does in bed...I wonder if this doll is up for it too.  _ He eyed Lily up and down, ignoring what she lectured him about. _ No, it wasn’t just the sex...that chick got under my skin. How could I let this happen?! _

He started laughing maniacally and jumped towards Lily. With both his hands he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His body expected her to react like she used to, but she didn’t. She stood there, shivering and shocked, like a fish out of water. 

When they pulled apart, she started crying. 

“What’s the matter, dammit?! Is daddy gonna disown you because you kissed another man?!” Negaduck exclaimed. 

“I...I never…” Lily was panting, her face and beak now wet. “Oh dear…” With that she pushed him aside and ran out of the room. 

“Fuck…” Negaduck whispered. “Has she never even kissed someone before?” 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Two more weeks had passed since Lily moved into the house and she started feeling restless. Her muscles were sore from doing nothing and her mind rushed back to her time with Negaduck. To combat that, she decided to pick up running. 

“Why would anyone run around for fun?” Gosalyn asked her when Lily came down the stairs in her new runner’s attire. 

“A girl as energetic as you should know how great it feels to just power yourself out,” Lily answered with a wink. 

“Yeah but you’re...old,” the girl giggled back at her. 

“Gosalyn!” Drake scolded his daughter. “That’s not nice!” 

“But true,” Lily smiled, “I feel like I’m 100 years old. You guys wanna join?” 

Launchpad shook his head, stuffing a sandwich into his beak. 

“No thanks, I get plenty of exercise at night,” Drake pointed out and sat down on the couch. 

“Oh, do you now?” Lily grinned but he didn’t get the hint. 

“Just run around the neighborhood, alright?” Drake demanded. “I don’t want to catch you corresponding with your fellow criminal friends!” 

Lily sighed and decided to ignore the comment. After picking a nice song and some mild stretching, she started running. A few minutes later, she found the perfect pace and felt like she was flying over the pavement.  _ I have to stay fit _ , she thought to herself,  _ he’s out there on the hunt. A broken hand won’t stop him forever _ . She drifted deeper into thoughts and Negaduck’s face appeared in her mind. His menacing laughter and the way he had casually used violence to keep her in check. Lily felt her heart beating faster and she tried to shake off the memory by increasing the pace. She had only been running for ten minutes but could feel exhaustion building up.

_ We belong together and you know that _ , Negaduck’s voice whispered inside her mind. 

_ Go away, go away, go away! _ she yelled at him. Lily closed her eyes and started sprinting back to the house. 

_ You’re mine!  _ he growled, his image now clearly visible. 

Lily broke down on the front lawn. “GO AWAY!” She was crying uncontrollably. 

Drake stood there, watering his petunias. She didn’t notice him approaching her but her shout caught him off-guard.

“Hey,” he asked, gently touching her shoulders. 

Lily jolted backwards and screamed. “STAY AWAY FROM ME!” 

Launchpad and Gosalyn stood in the open front door and stared at her. Lily now recognized where she was and tried to focus again. “I...I need a shower.” She ran into the house and into the bathroom, letting the hot water wash away her tears.  _ I can’t do this! I can’t! He’s out there! He’s gonna get me!  _ Lily screamed at herself.  _ Please, please, just let it be over… _

When she stepped out of the bathroom, the house was quiet. A note on the kitchen table said: 

_ Bringing Gos to hockey training _ \- DM

She was all alone in the house. Like always, she felt like the walls were closing in on her. Every moment Negaduck could come bursting through the front door, abducting her and killing her as slowly and painfully as she could imagine.  _ Maybe I should try running again? Or anything else to keep me in shape? _ she thought when her eyes wandered through the empty living room. Lily had found the secret tunnel to Darkwing’s hideout after two days but ignored it - until now. 

+++

Three hours later, Darkwing Duck and Launchpad found her in the tower of  Audubon Bay Bridge, hitting a boxing sack Darkwing had completely forgotten about. She punched and kicked vigorously, yelling insults with every hit. 

“Come and get me, you crazy, psycho asshole!” she screamed, landing another punch. Then she turned around, grabbed a knife off the table and threw it directly between the eyes of Negaduck’s mugshot on the wall. 

“What the heck is going on?!” Darkwing shouted furiously, “Who said you could just march in here?!” 

Lily put aside her headphones. “How about a thank you?”

“Huh?! Why should I thank you?” Darkwing inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself.

Lily walked across the room, his spare gas gun and grappling hook in her hands. “I cleaned this for you! You could have gotten gas stuck inside the barrel and this baby would explode! It’s a safety hazard! And the rope of your grabbing hook? You can’t just stuff it in there like it’s a Thanksgiving turkey! You’ll surely jump to your death!” 

Darkwing took the two guns off her and inspected them, while mumbling something inaudible. 

“Oh, and I found so many S.H.U.S.H. Tech upgrades in boxes, so I installed them. Also Mr.  _ Super Detective _ , give me a challenge! Gosalyn’s birthday is not a secure password! But don’t worry. I installed the fingerprint scanner you had here for months according to the thick layer of dust on the box.” Lily pointed at the big computer system.

“I uh, I didn’t have the time to…” Darkwing started mumbling. 

“Also, I sorted your gas canisters! They were just thrown into a big pile! That is so irresponsible!” she frowned. 

“Alright, enough!” Darkwing interrupted her. “I admit this is all...nice, but you are not allowed in here! This is  _ my _ hideout!  _ Mine _ !” 

“Well, you should take better care of it, then!” Lily decided to raise her voice even louder. 

“Guys…” Launchpad wanted to interrupt but they talked right over him. 

“Oh,  _ excuse me _ ?! You think I’m gonna let the  _ girlfriend _ of my archnemesis tell me what to do?!” Darkwing now matched her volume. 

“I-I uh...I am…” Lily stuttered, suddenly quiet. “I am not his… oh no…” She felt her body getting dizzy again. She wanted to hold onto Darkwing but he instinctively stepped away. 

Another panic attack rose inside her. She wanted to scream, to bang her fists at the ground and plug every single feather off her body to make this feeling disappear. Instead, she just tried to catch her breath, when she felt huge arms around her. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay...let it out, it’s fine…” Launchpad comforted her. 

“I can’t do this! I can’t!” Lily screamed, clutching her hands into his arms. “I see his face everywhere I go! I hear his voice, he...he’s inside my head!” 

“Just let it all out, we’re here for you, _ I’m  _ here for you…” Launchpad shot a dirty look at Darkwing, who could only shrug in response. 

“Why?! Dammit, why did I go with him that night?! I was so stupid!” Lily’s panic now turned into anger. “I gave him  _ everything _ ! He pounded me so hard, I couldn’t walk for three days!”

“I didn’t need to know that…” Darkwing whispered to himself, flushing. 

“And still he wanted more, more, MORE! I did what he said! Everything! It’s almost as if I was somehow entranced! And if I refused, he would just slap me in the face to keep me in check!” Lily now let go of Launchpad and crawled towards Darkwing, pulling him down by his jacket. 

“I didn’t kill those policemen, and yet you’re right, I’m responsible for what happened. He killed them to _punish_ _me_! And not only that, he decided to use the glass on that young man…” Lily swallowed, trying to breath. “He smeared this man’s blood all over my face! I can still feel it and I- I can’t eat anything! It’s revolting! Every time I close my eyes, he’s there! That young man is there and I have to watch him die, over and over again!”

Now she was completely exhausted and out of breath. Darkwing got to his knees and gently lifted her up by the shoulders. 

“Lily...it’s okay. I believe you,” he mustered his most honest smile. “I’m not gonna call you a murderer anymore. In the wake of what you just confessed, it might have been insensitive.” 

“Really? You believe me?” Lily whispered, falling into his arms from the exhaustion. “Please, I wanna help you. The sooner we catch him, the sooner you get rid of me, right?” 

“Yeah, right…” Darkwing sighed. 

“Listen,” Lily looked straight into his eyes pointing at the huge console behind them., “I’m good with this stuff. Let me help you, alright? Please! I can’t stay at home all alone. It drives me crazy!” 

Darkwing frowned. “Well, your skills are quite decent, I guess. No match for mine, but I really am short on time. Alright, two rules! First off: I’m the boss here! You do as I say, alright? No more initiative like that!” 

Lily nodded, wiping her tears near a bald spot on her arm. 

“And second,” Darkwing took her arm and pointed at the spots. “Please stop hurting yourself. This isn’t healthy. Let’s give your busy hands something to do so your feathers can grow back, okay?” He smiled at her. 

“Okay, deal,” she tried to lift the corners of her beak too. 

“Aw, you guys…” Launchpad said, walking over to the two ducks and lifting them into a very tight hug. 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Lily stood once again in the garage, tending to her bike. Suddenly, she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. 

“Ahem, Lily?” the squeaky voice asked. 

She turned around and saw her next door neighbor standing there. What was her name again? “Oh, uh, Binkie, right? What can I do for you?”

“Ah, I’m so glad you asked!” Binkie approached her. “So, the other women in the neighborhood are hosting a book club every Monday. I thought you might want to join! Believe me, I know how boring things get when there’s just men in the house!” She shrieked hysterically. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not really a book club person and I have plenty of stuff to do with my little baby,” Lily smiled. 

“Baby?! Oh, I didn’t hear a baby! Where is it?” Binkie asked excitedly. 

“Huh?! Oh no, I meant my machine!” Lily pointed at her bike. 

Binkie eyed her from head to toe. Lily wore her comfortable aviator pants and nothing more than a black sports bra to combat the first heat wave of the year. “Ah, I see,” she finally said, not even trying to hide her disappointment. “Well, I do like your new hair style. It looks very...um...fresh.” 

“Thanks?” Lily replied, tilting her head in confusion.

“You know, I’m gonna be honest with you. I was so happy to finally see a woman in this household!” Binkie suddenly burst out. 

“Oh? Why’s that?” Lily’s confusion rose. 

“For Gosalyn, of course. She needs a woman who can teach her, well... how to be a woman!” Binkie giggled.

Lily looked from her to Binkie. “Uh, what?”

“Ah, you know! Drake sends her to hockey training and she’s so rowdy all the time! I mean, I thought if she sees that you’re participating in lady activities like a book club, maybe-”

“Sorry, but there’s nothing wrong with being ‘rowdy!’ If anything, I’m gonna teach this girl how to be herself,” Lily felt rage rising inside her and tried to keep calm. “Anyway, I need some water. Really nice talking with you. Enjoy your club.” 

With that, she stormed into the house and closed the garage door with a loud slam. She sat down on the couch where Drake stared at her bewilderedly. 

“Everything okay?” he asked, holding a finger between the pages of his book before closing it. 

“Ugh, your neighbor, Binkie!” Lily shouted. 

Drake started laughing. “Yeah, she can be a handful. What did she do?” 

“She wanted to invite me to her stupid book club!” 

“Oh, but that’s...nice? I mean, I’m sure she meant well.” Drake smiled at her. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She said I should show Gosalyn ‘how to be a woman’!” Lily scoffed. 

“What?!” Drake frowned. 

“Yep, I’m supposed to help her be more girly,  _ me _ ! I mean, first off, look at me! I’m not really a symbol for femininity. And second, she’s fine the way she is!” Lily slammed her hands on her knees. 

For a second, Drake looked at Lily’s very feminine features and how she sat on his sofa in practically her underwear, apart from the pants which he didn’t pay much notice, but then he shook off the thought immediately. 

Drake’s beak turned into an honest smile again. “Thank you for saying that. And for being upset on my behalf.” 

Lily looked into his face. He was handsome, yes, but that didn’t affect her much. His smile, though. It pierced right through her heart. It was so easy and relaxed and he was giving it generously. Lily’s heart started beating faster than she would have wanted. 

To shift her focus she decided to change subjects. “So, what are you reading there?” 

“Oh, you wouldn’t know it. It’s well, more of a high culture book,” Drake smirked complacently. And with that, Lily’s girlish heartbeat was gone. 

She tilted her head to read the author and title. “Oh, is that the new book by Juli Claw? I’ve read ‘Play Instinct’ from her. It was a really hard topic but I have to say, the way she pointed out how society sees and treats young, and especially teenage, women was groundbreaking!” 

“Huh? You’ve read ‘Play Instinct’? I didn’t expect that!” Drake was baffled. 

“That’s because you think I’m dumb.” Lily winked at him. 

“But you’re right, the book was shocking but good. I read it shortly after I adopted Gosalyn. It was really hard to get through sometimes,” he sighed. 

“That must have been tough. Still, you’re a hero for adopting this adorable little girl. Once we’ve caught Negaduck, I will miss her the most.” She smiled at him. 

“Why would-? Oh, oh, of course. Then you can move on with your life. We all can! Yeah, better sooner than later, right?” Drake’s smile appeared again. For some reason, his enthusiasm made Lily sad. Apparently, he really did want to get rid of her as soon as possible. 

“But still,” Lily started, “I will always admire you for taking in this wonderful little girl. I can’t stress it enough, you’re a real hero, Drake. Not only when you put on a mask.” 

Drake’s beak started flushing. He looked away and cleared his throat. “I hope you don’t mind me asking but, how was it really in the orphanage? Gosalyn always describes it so joyful.” 

Lily leaned back into the cushions. “That’s because she’s young. She was still in the main complex with the other kids the system hadn’t given up on yet.” She closed her eyes when memories started flashing in her mind. “Once you reach the age of 13, you’re a lost cause. No one will adopt you. So to make room, they put you in the side building where nobody really cares about you. Or what’s done to you.” 

“Lily, I’m sorry…” Drake put aside his book and leaned closer. He was not sure what he tried with this gesture but his body seemed to move on its own.

“It’s okay, really. I’m just glad that another girl as wild as I was has a shot at having a good family.” Lily tried to hold back tears. 

“So you never were adopted?” he asked politely, noticing how close he got to her and moved back again.

“No, it was due to the financial crisis. Nobody had the money to feed another kid. Except for the rich and famous of course but they don’t care for us.” Lily sighed. “You know, I think that’s the reason I got there. My mother - whoever she was - demanded they call me Lily, apparently, after some rare flower or whatnot. So I’m guessing she hooked up with some hopeless romantic, and he was too poor to provide, so she gave me away.” 

“Did you ever try to find them?” he looked at her with his eyes full of compassion.

“Yes, of course! I tried everything from legal to illegal but nothing. It’s as if I just plopped out of nowhere. Oh, well...it’s better this way.” Lily straightened her back and tried to smile through the sadness. 

“Why would you say that?”

“Don’t you see how I fuck everything up?” She ignored him wincing at the swear word. “Believe me, even before this whole situation with Negaduck, I was a mess. It’s better if I stay alone.” 

“Lily, I-” Drake started. 

“Don’t worry,” Lily got up from the sofa. “I’m gonna be alright. Now, let’s go to the hideout. I got something really special I want to show you guys.” 

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

“Alright, it works like this: these are basically three tiny headphones and they broadcast over a secure channel. which I will change every hour. Don’t worry, Launchpad. It will happen automatically,” Lily ensured the huge red-haired mallard who was fumbling with the tiny device in his hands. 

Darkwing nodded and tried to put the headphones under his mask. “It looks like I have a dent there,” he complained, checking his image in the reflection of his phone. 

“Pfff, please! No one will notice!” Lily scoffed. 

“And what if someone sneaks up on me from the right? I won’t be able to hear them properly!” The purple caped mallard crossed his arms. 

Lily reached behind his ear and snapped her fingers. 

“Ouch!” he complained. 

“See? They are designed to not mess with your hearing,” Lily smirked. 

“I think it’s super cool!” Gosalyn exclaimed. “Can I get one too?” 

“Why would  _ you _ need one?” her father asked her. 

“So I know what’s up with you guys, of course!” Gosalyn tried to snatch the headphone off of Launchpad's hands. 

“Not gonna happen, young lady!” He held her back by the shoulder while Lily helped Launchpad put on the headset. “You stay at home! Or here with Lily.” 

“One last test and we’re good to go,” Lily said after putting her own headphones in. 

Lily sat down in front of the huge computer console, booting the system and pouring herself a coffee. Gosalyn loudly dragged a chair over the floor and sat down next to her. 

“So, what are we gonna do now?” Gosalyn asked excitedly. 

“Now,” Lily took a sip out of her cup, “we wait for whatever is going to happen tonight. You should be in bed soon, though. It’s a school night.” 

“Don’t be boring! What can this baby do?!” Gosalyn replied and tried touching one of the many buttons. 

Lily held her hand back in the last second. “No, don’t touch that! Maybe we can play something on it later, but for now, I gotta focus. You can stay a little longer but then it’s off to bed with you, alright?” 

“You sound just like dad!” Gosalyn complained and crossed her arms. 

“Well, it turns out, I’m the adult after all, so please just do what I say, okay? I haven’t been yelled at by your father in two days and I intend to keep it that way.” Lily gently stroked the girls head. 

“Alright, alright…” Gosalyn sighed. 

“You hear me?” Darkwing’s voice asked through the headset.

“Loud and clear,  _ boss _ ,” Lily smiled. 

“Heh, alright. There is a disturbance at the lighthouse at St. Canard Bay so I’m gonna head there. Give me any info you can find on that,” Darkwing demanded. 

Lily typed viciously while trying to keep the overexcited Gosalyn from pushing more buttons. She quickly read news and social media feeds and summarized the info for Darkwing. “It turns out that Megavolt is trying something with the big light bulb in the lighthouse? I got some livestreams broadcast by bystanders, so be careful when you turn into Riverside Road. Wait, let me pull up the traffic cams.” Lily was now focused on her monitors. 

“Go get him, dad!” Gosalyn screamed next to her ear into the headphones.

“Is that Gosalyn? Tell her to go home!  _ Now _ !” Darkwing ordered. 

Lily turned around. “You heard your dad. Time for bed, sweetie.” 

While mumbling something Lily didn’t understand, the girl left the tower through their secret exit. 

“Okay, guys, I see you. There’s a huge crowd near Riverside Road. Try to avoid them by taking the next right turn. It’s a back alley but you could also park the Ratcatcher there and walk. No coming through on wheels with all these idiots filming,” Lily explained, checking several video feeds. 

“What’s Megavolt doing?” Launchpad asked. 

“Uh, the light bulb, I guess?” Lily snickered. 

“Oh no! I hope he has protection!” Launchpad laughed.

“Wha-?! Guys! Focus!” Darkwing scolded them.

“Launchpad, I’m gonna use the grappling hook to get up there! You take the stairs!” Darkwing commanded his sidekick. Minutes later, Lily heard Launchpad panting heavily while running up the staircase. 

“I better not run into a trap, missy!” Darkwing growled into the headphone while preparing his hook. 

“You won’t. I’m as neutral as Switzerland, but much less rich…and cheesy.” Lily winked even though he couldn’t see it and felt stupid.  _ Stop flirting, idiot! _ she scolded herself.

“Well, alright. I’m gonna take a leap of faith here, both literally and metaphorically,” he answered and Lily heard the hook being fired, and soon after, his intro. “I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the energy-saving fluorescent bulb that never needs replacing! I am Darkwiiiiiing DUCK!” 

_ Does he write his own material? _ Lily wondered, rolling her eyes.

She then heard Megavolt’s scratchy voice. “Argh, what are you doing here?! I didn’t do anything wrong!” 

“Then what are you doing with that light bulb?” Darkwing mocked him. 

“She wants to be free! But for that, I need her to free all the other bulbs in this city with this!” Megavolt answered him and seemed to show him something. 

Without being there, this felt like watching an action movie with your eyes closed. 

“I’m here!” Launchpad exclaimed out of breath. 

“Perfect, tell me what’s happening,” Lily ordered. 

“Well, uhhh… D.W. just got zapped by some sort of, uh, gun? That’s not good. And uh…” Launchpad was searching for words.

“Never mind! Open the link I sent you and hold your phone out like you’re filming.” Lily typed something and seconds later she saw the video feed. Darkwing was now kicking a device out of Megavolt’s hands but ended up getting zapped in the foot. He jumped up and down a bit, trying to shake off the pain. 

“Launchpad, look up!” Lily commanded. She had noticed a loose cable dangling from a whole in the ceiling. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah! I see it!” Launchpad answered. He leaned the phone against something and Lily could see him climbing up a ladder and ripping the cable out of the wall. It was a grounding wire like Lily had assumed and as she lit another cigarette, she watched Launchpad violently exposing more and more of the cable. 

“D.W.!” He shouted and threw it to Darkwing who grinned when he caught it. 

“Hey, Sparky! Catch!” Darkwing yelled and the second Megavolt caught the cable on instinct, he yelped when the backlash of the electric shock sent him crashing through the roof. 

_ I’m sorry Elmo _ , Lily thought and took another deep puff. 

+++ 

Lily cleaned off the console and hid her ashtray when she heard the Ratcatcher approaching in the distance. 

“Hey guys! Great job!” she greeted them. 

“That was so amazing!” Launchpad high-fived her. 

“I gotta say,” Darkwing started when he took off his helmet, “I didn’t expect you to help us or to actually be of use.” 

He suddenly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pressing her closer to him. Lily was so shocked that she didn’t have time to think about what was happening. 

“So, praise where praise is due. You really did quite good.” He winked. She felt herself flushing and suddenly feeling how close the two of them were when he started sniffing and making a weird face.

“Ewww, is that nicotine?” he asked, stepping away in disgust. 

“Uh, yes, I had a smoke to calm my nerves. Outside, of course, on top of the tower,” Lily answered, blatantly lying to his face. 

“Urgh, if you have to do it, fine. Anyway, let’s go home guys.” Darkwing gestured them towards the exit. 


	7. Chapter 7

Negaduck sat down on the couch and scrolled through the notes he and Lily had taken on their experiments. Suddenly, a little red head appeared beside him. 

“Hey kiddo, what’s up?” he asked her. 

“Where’s Launchpad?” the girl asked shyly. 

“Out, running errands,” he answered, now looking at his notes again. 

“Lily?” She looked around.

“Down in the lab. It’s just you and me up here,” he grinned at her. 

“I see. I will wait for them, then.” With that, she sat down next to him and glanced coyly at him. 

“Um...okay?” Negaduck tried to focus on his notes again but the tiny girl breathing heavily distracted him too much. He could clearly see her looking at his hand from the corner of his eyes. 

“What’s with the look?” he asked her, and put aside his tablet. 

“Your hand,” she replied, now openly staring at it. “It’s healed now?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Well, the bandage is off but it still hurts a bit,” he said and was surprised when her tiny hand reached for his fingers. 

“They looked funny when you came back,” she giggled, now twisting his hand. 

Negaduck laughed and raised his eyebrows. “So you liked that?” 

“No, it looked _bad_ funny, not good funny.” she replied in a matter-of-fact way. “Besides, now you can tickle Launchpad better.”

“Tickle Launchpad? What?” His voice raised in confusion. 

She giggled again. “I saw you! You tickled him here on this couch and he laughed!” 

“Huh? Oh! That was… yeah… _tickling._ Don’t snoop around, kiddo.” Negaduck let out a surprised laugh. 

“Okay,” she replied, now letting go of his hands. 

“Man, I’ve never heard you talk this much! And I thought you were retarded.” He scanned her face for any reaction. 

She shrugged. “It was easy with grandpa, but since he’s gone, I just don’t know how to talk to people, so I stay silent.” 

“Huh, I see. I’ve been in a situation like that when I was your age.” Images long buried in his subconscious flushed through his mind. A face appeared in front of him, a young dog, huge eyes and a bright smile. Jonathan...Jonny… Blood on his hands. Jonny’s blood. A cheering crowd.  _ This world doesn’t give a shit about kids like you, _ he sighed. 

“Hey, kid,” Negaduck shook off the thoughts, “what’s your name again?” 

“Gosalyn,” she answered, staring at him with a hint of irritation in her eyes. 

“Gosalyn, right! Do you want some chocolate?” He gave her a soft smile. 

“What’s that?” She tilted her head. 

“Oh, just you wait, dolly!” He got up and walked towards the elevator, chuckling when she replied, “Okay, I’ll wait,” in a very serious tone. 

“Alright, where is it?” Negaduck mumbled to himself when he entered the floor he had designated to be his storage. Passing canisters of fresh water and canned food, he walked towards a shelf packed with protein bars. Inside a tiny box, he found what he was looking for: two candy bars. He smiled to himself on his way back to the elevator. 

“Alright, kiddo, I hope your taste buds are ready!” Negaduck winked when he handed Gosalyn one of the candy bars. 

She looked at the wrapping and started reading the ingredients list intensely. When he ripped open the foil of his bar, she copied his movement. 

“And what now?” She asked, inspecting the chocolate. 

“Now you eat it!” He answered and took a bite. 

Gosalyn carefully broke it in half and inspected the inside, before taking one part in her beak. When the chocolate met her tongue, her eyes widened and she snickered. 

“Good?” Negaduck laughed when he saw her expression. 

She nodded and started chewing. “It’s so sweet!” Gosalyn exclaimed before eating the second half. 

“I know, right? I was blown away the first time too! It’s from the place I sometimes go to,” Negaduck explained. She didn’t answer him and seemed to be focused on savoring every single bite.

“Thank you!” Gosalyn smiled brightly after swallowing the final piece. 

“You’re welcome, kid.” He ruffled her hair. 

“Hey, don’t touch!” the red-haired girl pushed his hands away. 

“Oh, alright. Now piss off to your room, I’ve got work to do. But I’m gonna go to the other place really soon and maybe I’ll bring you some more, if I’m in the mood.” He shooed her off the couch and reached for his tablet. 

Gosalyn nodded excitedly and sneaked back into the hallway. Shortly after, he could hear the elevator doors opening. Lily rushed towards him, panting excitedly. 

“Negaduck! You have to follow me down into the lab! I’ve made an unbelievable discovery!”

+++ 

Drake and Launchpad sat down at the breakfast table. Both were tired from endlessly chasing down Splatter Phoenix through the halls of the National Museum of Modern Art. They were both on their phones and enjoying a quiet cup of coffee when Lily burst into the room. She wore one of Launchpad’s old and washed out shirts and a grey sports bra. With the morning sun behind her, the thin fabric didn’t leave much room for interpretation. 

“Oh, guys! After you went to sleep last night, I stayed up and started this super fascinating show and I _might_ have watched the entire first season!” Lily shouted excitedly. “Also, Launchpad, I borrowed this shirt, because I literally have nothing to wear.” 

“That’s fine. It looks good on you, and it’s only ten sizes too big,” Launchpad laughed. 

Drake looked up when she stood on her toes to reach the top shelf for a mug. The cloth now wandering up to reveal the lower tip of her tail. _What are you doing?!_ he scolded himself. It was not uncommon to see female ducks without pants and yet he never saw Lily without one. The sensation of seeing her like that irritated him. 

“So, anyway,” Lily started when she poured coffee into her mug, “it’s some sort of murder mystery show, and I know what you’re thinking but…” 

Drake stopped listening to her and instead focused on her behind when she bent down to reach the lower compartments in the fridge. 

Launchpad followed his look and grinned to himself. Drake didn’t even notice him. His gaze was on Lily, oblivious to everything else..

Once she turned around, Drake quickly stared intensely into his mug. 

“I gotta say,” Launchpad nodded when he saw the heaping plate full of leftovers, “I’m so glad you’re eating again. I mean I totally _see_ your curves coming back, right, Drake?” 

“ _Nothing?!_ ” Drake was startled. 

“What?” Lily asked, confused. 

“Nothing to wear! That’s what you said! Maybe we should go get you something, then?” Drake felt himself flushing. 

“Yeah, that’s a good idea actually,” Lily rubbed her beak. “I also need a new hair dye. This one is fading already. Which color should I do next? Maybe red? Do you like redheads, Drake?” 

“Huh? Well, I don’t know. It’s your head so you do whatever you like,” Drake turned away to hide his face. 

“Right, but you didn’t answer my question,” Lily grinned at Launchpad. 

“I… I don’t know, the blonde was pretty, I guess…” Drake whispered. 

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?” Lily smiled at him. 

“That’s what I heard!” Launchpad snickered and winked at her. 

“Ugh! You two are so childish! I’m gonna pick up Gosalyn!” Drake got up and stormed out of the room. 

Launchpad and Lily started laughing when they heard the garage door closing. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t tease him like that,” Lily sighed in a half serious tone. 

“Oh, I dunno. He’ll manage.” Launchpad shrugged. “Besides, maybe he doesn’t mind as much, seeing how he checked you out and all.” 

Lily blushed. “He did?!” 

Launchpad nodded. “Yep, stared at your butt when you bent down. It’s a nice butt, if you don’t mind me saying.” 

“Aw, thank you!” Lily grinned. “Yours is not bad either!” 

“I know!” Launchpad exclaimed and they both started laughing again. 

“Hey.” Lily reached over the table to pet Launchpad’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

Launchpad’s smile turned sad. “It’s okay, really. You can’t control his feelings.” 

This didn’t stop Lily from feeling guilty towards her friend. The thought of Drake showing interest in her was ridiculous! And yet, the idea of him looking at her _that way_ excited her. _Maybe before this is all over, I could have some quick fun with him?_ she asked herself. But there was more than physical attraction. She remembered his smile, the way the two of them started not only getting along better, but in some aspects, they seemed to think similarly, especially in their work. _He did lift me up and tuck me into bed when I was passing out_ , she recollected, _even though he was mad at me and I wasn’t saying the nicest things._

Launchpad watched her pushing her food around with a fork while she was lost in thought. Even before Lily would realize it, he knew exactly what she was thinking about. With resignation, he turned to his phone to reinstall the first dating app he could find. 

+++

“We’re baaack!” Gosalyn yelled through the house and surprised Lily and Launchpad in the living room. 

“Quick, close it!” Lily demanded and Launchpad exited the app. They had spent the last 30 minutes browsing and swiping through dating profiles. 

“Hey, Gos! How was school?” Launchpad asked, tucking his phone into his pocket. 

“Eh, it was fine. But did you hear what dad planned?” she replied. 

Drake stepped into the room. “Well, they finally reopened the Riverside Mall and I thought maybe we all could go there.” 

Before anyone could answer, a loud alarm went off in the living room. 

“Ugh, what now?” Drake turned on his phone. “A bank robbery?! In the middle of the day?! Some people…” 

He rushed up to get into his costume. Gosalyn sat next to Lily and crossed her arms. 

“This always happens when he comes up with something fun!” she complained. 

“Now, now,” Darkwing came into the room, tying his cape to his jacket, “if this is quick, we can go after or tomorrow, I promise.”

“Wait!” Lily got up from the sofa. 

“What is it?” Darkwing was almost on his chair. 

“Your collar.” Lily reached to his neck. He could feel her fumbling on his back. She followed the seam and stepped in front of him. With one last motion, she placed the collar neatly on his cape. 

“There, looking good while doing good, right?” She winked, her hand still on his chest. 

“Hey, that’s what I say!” He grinned and instinctively reached for her hand only to stop himself in the last second. “Alright L.P., let’s go!” 

“Be safe out there, you two. I’m gonna watch you from my laptop!” Lily waved after them. “Come on, Gos, let’s go upstairs.” 

Instead of a small heist, they had to fight against a whole horde of Tuskerninni's penguins and much to Gosalyn’s dismay, it was getting too late to go anywhere by the time the penguins were on ice. At least Lily was able to convince her to do some of her homework. 

Darkwing decided to leave his alarm on, but get some rest in hopes to recover from two stressful jobs. 

Later that night, Drake woke up, not from his alarm but from a dream, a dream that was not unpleasant, yet very irritating. In it, she had long blonde hair again and it was falling over her shoulders like a golden waterfall. She smiled at him, her face seemingly illuminated. His name left her beak, nothing more than a whisper and yet louder than a church bell. 

“Oh, dear…” Drake sighed, burying his red face in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a nsfw part directly following the events of this chapter, you can read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741527


	8. Chapter 8

His lungs filled with the fresh air of the Prime Universe for the first time in almost two months. Negaduck headed directly to the mansion in the woods to check his inventory. Out of all the vehicles she could have taken, she had settled for his striking red and yellow bike. His smile turned sour and yet, he remained calm. 

Next was his stash, which was completely empty. Not even one lousy penny left. His anger grew along with his grin. When he stepped into the workshop, his composure was gone. Their work stations were knocked over, the soldered boards and tools scattered on the floor, some of them broken in half. He started laughing maniacally and continued Lily’s work by rampaging through the room to blow off steam.

An hour later, he was showered, had his first decent meal in months, and now he was ready to make plans again. First step: Getting money. For that, he called his team mates, if one could call them that. Not that he needed them, but it was always good to keep them on a short leash so they wouldn’t get cocky with him again. 

Megavolt was in prison, which meant that they were one member short. But to fulfill his bigger plan, he would have to bust him out eventually, so why not kill two birds with one stone and use this heist as a decoy? 

_ Now, where to strike? _ Negaduck thought to himself while idly browsing through the various news sites on his laptop to see what he had missed. A popup ad on the side of the screen gave him the answer: 

**GRAND REOPENING OF THE RIVERSIDE MALL - THIS WEEKEND!**

+++

“It’s a bit cramped with four people in the car,” Drake noticed when he drove backwards out of the driveway. 

“No worries,” Lily ensured him and patted Gosalyn next to her on the shoulder. “We’ll manage, right, Gos?” 

“Yeah, you focus on driving!” Gosalyn grinned, and finally the car was set on the street.

Throughout the drive, in which they had to endure Drake’s jazz music bursting through the speakers, Lily occasionally looked up to the mirror only to find Drake glimpsing at her almost every time. She would smile at him then - toying with him was fun after all - and yet deep inside her, his shy looks made her heart beat faster and it was harder for her to focus on the game she was playing with Gosalyn and Launchpad. 

“It’s your turn to tap the screen!” The red-haired girl next to her would remind her every time Lily’s thoughts lingered on Drake’s striking blue eyes for too long. 

_ Don’t fall for him!  _ Lily admonished herself.  _ He is not the kind of guy for someone like me! Plus, I shouldn’t be in a relationship with anyone anyway. _ That didn’t stop her from thinking about him constantly. The day before, Launchpad had told her about Drake’s possible interest in her physically, but that was not the first time Lily had thought about him in a way she shouldn’t. He had rescued a girl from the orphanage that reminded her so much of herself, which in itself was admirable, but he had also taken in Lily in her darkest hour, despite their past history.  _ He is grumpy, self absorbed and arrogant, yes. But underneath that, he is kind, sweet and probably very insecure,  _ she deduced. 

“Don’t park outside. Drive to the garage,” Lily advised Drake. 

“I wasn’t planning to. Even this old trash wouldn’t be safe here,” Drake answered her. 

“Aw, but Drake, you love this car! It’s still his first car from high school. How cute is that?” Launchpad explained to Lily. She smiled and didn’t think he would be the sentimental type. 

“Okay, guys,” Lily said, counting the bills in her purse. “I got about 960 dollars in my pocket and-” 

Drake hit the brake a little too harsh when he stopped in the parking lot. “960 dollars?! Why? How?!” 

Lily got out of the car. “Well, let’s say I got the money as compensation from my last relationship. Though it was not quite  _ willingly _ given. That’s not even everything. The rest is at home.” 

“So it’s  _ stolen _ ?!” Drake was shocked and stared at her purse. 

“Well yeah, from Negaduck,” Lily explained. 

“We can’t accept that!” Drake insisted. 

“Alright. I was gonna say I would treat you to some nice lunch and dessert and then we split the money, but if you don’t want to…” she shrugged. 

“Oh I’m in,” Launchpad stated, walking over to Lily. 

“Me too!” Gosalyn jumped over to her side too. 

Drake looked at the money again and scratched his beak. “Well, I mean, it’s very rude to decline such a generous offer. Plus, we don’t even know where he got it so we couldn’t return it anyway and - Hey! Wait up, guys!” he called after the others while they made their way towards the elevators. 

They decided to have the most decadent, cheesy crust pizza imaginable and after that, Lily bought huge ice cream cones for each of them. 

“Oh, my… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat anything again,” Drake suppressed a burp.

“I could go for seconds,” Launchpad exclaimed. 

“Knock yourself out, big guy,” said Lily, patting his back, “I’m gonna go for a smoke. Should we meet at the hardware store after?”

Drake rolled his eyes. “Alright, do what you have to. But you know the damage you’re inflicting to your lungs is massive and -”

“Uh huh, yeah, Mister Gas Gun,” Lily interrupted his daily lecture about the dangers of smoking and walked out. 

Standing in the smoker’s corner, Lily noticed a very familiar laughter coming from the unloading area. She snuck around the corner and saw Bushroot and Quackerjack discussing something. Right when she wanted to back out again, Bushroot noticed her. 

“Lily?!” he asked shocked.

“Oh, hey, guys! Long time no see! I wasn’t sure if you would recognize me!” She tried to give them an honest smile, already feeling guilty for her work with Darkwing Duck. 

“Why wouldn’t we?” Quackerjack asked, inspecting her. 

“I mean, I disguised myself, kinda. Right?” Lily pointed at her hair. 

“Uh, your hair is shorter and a bit darker, that’s not a disguise, that’s just a change of looks,” Bushroot scoffed. 

“Boss lady, do you wanna come join us? We’re gonna have so much fun in there!” Quackerjack asked excitedly. 

“I, uh- I don’t think Lily should be here, right? Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll catch up with you,” Bushroot suggested to his partner. Once the clown was out of sight, he turned to Lily with a serious look. “You really should go. Negaduck is on his way here.” 

Lily’s heart started beating faster and she had to fight to keep a composed expression. “I see, I um, I gotta go. Here’s my new number, if anything comes up.” She calmly wrote it down on an old receipt and handed it to Bushroot, her knees feeling like pudding. Bushroot smiled when he touched her shoulder and then he ran into the building. 

_ Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, DON’T FREAK OUT! _ Lily screamed at herself and while every inch of her body told her to run away, she thought of Drake, Launchpad and Gosalyn and without thinking if they could manage the situation, she ran back into the mall. 

Right after she had entered through the front door, Lily heard an explosion, followed by a stream of people running towards her in panic. Thanks to his size, she saw Launchpad holding Gosalyn up to keep her safe. Drake was nowhere to be seen but shortly after a well-known voice echoed through the halls. 

“Come on, boys! Grab what you can and bring it up to the jet!” Negaduck shouted, and Lily instinctively hid behind a large pillar when she saw him on the first floor, leaning on a railing. Her heart was now actively trying to beat its way out of her chest while her legs had forgotten how to use their bones.  _ No, no, no!  _ Lily cried and started hyperventilating when a hand touched her shoulder and in the moment she wanted to scream, her beak was held shut. 

“Shhh, it’s me!” Darkwing whispered and let her go. 

“You scared me, you stupid fuckhead!” Lily somehow managed to scream even when she was whispering. 

“ _ Shhh! Quiet! _ L.P. took Gosalyn to safety and -  _ shit _ !” Darkwing stopped himself, when he saw Quackerjack and Bushroot jumping down to the base floor and approaching his daughter and friend. “You stay here. I’m gonna help them!” 

He fumbled in his pocket, and then threw a gas canister in the air and jumped on top of the pillar. “I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the doorbuster sale in the department store of justice! I am Darkwiiiiiing DUCK!”

“Darkwing! What a coincidence! Are you here for the reopening? Sorry to spoil the deal for you! Get him, boys!” Negaduck laughed, looking down from the platform. 

She could hear a fight between Bushroot, Darkwing, Launchpad and Quackerjack breaking out. With a glimpse behind the pillar, she found Gosalyn safely hidden under a bench. Negaduck was not in his former position anymore. Instead, she saw him holding a rifle, aiming down at the tumult. With a deep breath, she jumped towards the escalator and searched through her pockets.  _ Gotcha! _ she grinned when her fingers felt the cold metal of her revolver. 

“Drop the weapon,” she shouted, standing behind Negaduck next to the railing and pointing her weapon at Negaduck. 

Negaduck turned around, grinned and threw his rifle a few feet away. “Well well well, isn’t that interesting? What are you doing here?” 

“Shopping,” Lily answered. Her hands were shaking more than ever. 

“Ah, sure. All this money you stole from me has to be put to good use, right? And my bike? Got that with you too by any chance?” His voice was dangerously calm.

She took a few steps away from the railing when she saw Negaduck eyeing her and the border. “Nope, I crashed it. Check the junkyard.” 

He stepped closer to her. “I see. I like your new hair. You look less like a Barbie.” 

“Fuck you,” Lily responded, now once again feeling the muscles in her legs failing her. 

Negaduck eyes the revolver. “Ah, I see you kept my gift. How sweet. This way I’m always with you.” 

Lily scoffed, unable to think of a witty reply. 

“What’s gonna happen now, babe? Huh?” He stepped even closer. “Are you gonna shoot me?” 

Darkwing had just landed another punch against one of Quackerjack’s nefarious toys when he looked up. He saw Lily with a gun in her hand.  _ Where did that come from?! _ Her face was less than confident. Negaduck stepped towards her and was saying something he couldn’t make out. 

“Ouch!” he screamed when one of Bushroot’s tendrils hit him on the back. 

Before he fought back the razor sharp leaves, he once again looked up. Now all he could see was their heads and the extended arm. They were still talking. 

Launchpad had finally gotten a hold on Quackerjack and was able to handcuff him to a nearby pillar, leaving only Bushroot and the toys. 

Negaduck now stood right in front of the gun. “Shoot me. Not even you can miss at this distance.” 

Lily's hand shook uncontrollably. She was unable to move an inch. She had to fight back the panic and tears by taking deep breaths. Negaduck now grabbed her arm with the revolver, holding it up right between his eyes. 

“Come on, babe, do it! Shoot!” he demanded with a grin. 

Every moment they shared flushed into her mind. The good and the bad all at once fought for her attention like waves breaking at the shore on a stormy night. She saw him laughing at her, kissing her, sharing a part of his past, and yet, there he also was hitting her, and lastly, killing the young cop right in front of her, blood spurting out of his innocent throat.

“SHOOT, DAMMIT!” Negaduck yelled and at that moment, Lily’s bravery died. She started crying and hyperventilating. 

“Have you always been this pathetic?!” Negaduck scolded her, easily taking the weapon out of her hand. “Well, it’s my turn now.” 

“Negaduck...I-I-” Lily stammered when he held the weapon up, aiming right at the spot between her eyes. 

Darkwing looked up once again. He didn’t know what had happened between Quackerjack freeing himself from the pillar and Bushroot getting tangled into his own tendrils but when he saw Negaduck aiming at Lily, something inside him broke free. An adrenaline rush he scarcely felt pumped through his veins. He took out the grappling hook, aimed at Quackerjack and wrapped the clown into the rope with one swift motion. 

Lily closed her eyes. She should’ve been brave and looked him into the eyes when he pulled the trigger, but she couldn’t.  _ At least this is a quick and merciful death, _ she thought. _ A shitty end for a shitty life.  _

At that moment, Darkwing heard the shot and all he could see was Lily falling to the floor. His heart stopped for a moment. He looked at Launchpad and saw him looking up in shock and terror as well. Gosalyn was still hidden under the bench and hopefully hadn’t seen what had been going on. 

The sound of the gun was unbearably loud. The bullet passed so close to her. She could feel it soaring through her hair. Lily opened her eyes, saw that Negaduck aimed right next to her and fell to the ground. She couldn’t control her body anymore. The tears burst violently through her closed eyes, her nostrils clogged, gasping for air. Negaduck bent down and gently tilted her head up by the beak. 

“Look at you. You’re such a mess. How pitiful. I’m gonna kill you when you can put up a fight.” He kissed her on the cheek and put the gun next to her. “See you around,  _ Lily _ .” 

He took out the grappling hook and aimed for the newly rebuilt glass ceiling. Broken shards rained down as he soared through the air. 

She vaguely heard two men and a girl behind her screaming her name. An arm wrapped around her and she expected it to be Launchpad, but when she looked down, she saw her tears dripping onto a purple sleeve. 

“Lily, thank goodness you’re alive! Lily! Can you hear me?!” Darkwing pressed her against his chest. 

Launchpad knelt next to them, holding her hand while trying to contain his tears and Gosalyn climbed onto her lap, burying her crying face into Lily’s shirt. 

“Am I…dying?” she asked faintly. 

“No, you’re not. You’re gonna be alright,” Darkwing whispered softly and stroked her head, pushing his cheek feathers into her temple.

“I don’t feel good,” Lily murmured. She tried to hug Gosalyn, but lifting her arm felt like lifting a boulder. 

“Launchpad is gonna take you and Gos home. I’ll take care of the other guys,” he explained and Launchpad nodded through glassy eyes. 

_ Interesting _ , Negaduck thought, standing on the ceiling of the mall he now had destroyed twice. He looked down at the scene, smiling to himself.  _ Very interesting _ .  _ This opens a whole new range of opportunities _ . His smile turned to rage when Darkwing gently stroked Lily’s hair, his look full of warmth. He turned around and made his way back home into the Negaverse. It was time to plan a bigger gig. 

+++

Lily sat down in the backyard, smoking her third cigarette in the last hour. Normally, Drake would force her to go out on the streets, but today he didn’t mind. They had been very supportive ever since the incident in the mall this morning, but Lily needed her time alone. Seeing Negaduck so unexpectedly hit her harder than she would have imagined. She was way past the state of panic and now fell into a catatonic stiffness of the mind. _ He’s here. He’s back. Everything had been going so well and now he’s back.  _ Her hands were surprisingly steady and she focused on the calm beating of her heart. The moment she had dreaded for two months had passed and now it was time to stop crying and start acting. She looked down at the cigarette into her hand, pressed it into the ashtray and threw the pack in the trash on her way in. 


	9. Chapter 9

After the incident in the mall two weeks ago, Lily had been more focused and serious than ever, so much so that even Drake had to tell her to calm down. He invited her to come to one of Gosalyn’s hockey games - or more like Gosalyn insisted she would come too - and for that, Lily had worked out a detailed plan. 

“You really think scouting the entire premises  _ twice _ is necessary?” Drake asked when she told him to be there two hours early to check every nook and cranny of the stadium. 

“Yes, and I will do the same when I arrive,” Lily explained. 

“Huh? Don’t we go together?” Launchpad scratched his head.

“No, you three go first and I come in later with my bike and take another route so that  _ if _ I’m being watched, he doesn’t recognize you guys.” Lily’s face turned even more serious, so the two men decided to do as she said. 

“Alright, let’s go, then. Gosalyn, I hope your equipment is already in the car!” He shushed Launchpad and his daughter towards the garage and then turned around. 

“Lily,” he said softly while putting his hand on her shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, I promise. Just don’t do anything drastic on your own, alright?”

She nodded and he could see her face softening to a relaxed smile. “See you there, Drake. Drive safely.” 

Driving in serpentine lines around town to throw off any followers chasing her was less fun than she thought it would be. The Saturday traffic meant she had to stop at every single red light for at least two intervals and with a look at the clock, she decided to take a shortcut straight towards the stadium. She did take her time checking the parking lot when she heard cheering from inside the halls and realized that the game was about to begin.

The first step into the stadium overwhelmed her. It was more crowded than she thought and Lily had to look for Launchpad and Drake, who thankfully waved at her. 

“What took you so long?” Drake snapped when she sat down between him and Launchpad. 

“More traffic than I thought, but I made it in time, so relax!” She replied right back. 

Launchpad rolled his eyes, looking down at the two ducks next to him. “He was worried about you, checked the door and his phone every few seconds,” he told Lily. 

“No, I wasn’t!” Drake protested and turned away. “Anyway, the game’s about to start, so be quiet!” 

Lily had never seen a hockey game before in her life and didn’t understand many of the rules, but she could see Gosalyn having fun and it filled her with pride when the red haired girl landed another point for her team. What no one told her before - and in retrospect, she realized that she should have guessed it - was that the ice skating hall was cold like a chilly autumn night. Lily shivered in her tank top and shorts while Drake and Launchpad sat comfortably in their down jackets. 

“Why didn’t you bring a jacket?” Drake asked her brusquely. 

“Well, it’s a hot summer day! I didn’t think I would need one,” Lily replied in a very harsh tone to match his.

Launchpad thought about helping them out once again but decided not to interfere with their constant quarrels. After all, he was sure that this was a result of unresolved feelings. So instead, he turned around to cheer on Gosalyn’s team. 

“Well, it’s  _ ice skating _ . The name kind of indicates the nature of the sport, don’t you think?” Drake scoffed while taking off his jacket. 

“Oh, sorry that the poor orphan girl doesn’t know her sports, you - hey, what are you doing?” Lily was baffled when Drake put his jacket around her. 

“I’m wearing a sweater and undershirt, it’s fine. Now shut your beak and let me focus on the game, okay?” Drake turned around. 

Lily slipped her arms into the sleeves. She could feel his warmth on her feathers engulfing her as intimate as a hug. Lowering her beak, she caught the scent of Drake’s soap. Closing her eyes brought her back to the mall incident where he held her in her arms so closely, she could feel his heart beating fast and- 

Everyone jumped up and cheered when Gosalyn landed another score, Launchpad wrapping his arms about Lily and Drake in excitement. They didn’t stop cheering for a while since the team really did outmatch their opponents by a longshot, resulting in an easy win. 

“You did great, Gosalyn! I’m so proud of you!” Drake exclaimed when his daughter ran out of the locker rooms and into his arms. 

“These other guys were losers! It was super easy!” Gosalyn brushed off his compliment. 

“Great job, sweetie!” Lily high fived her and Launchpad picked up the tiny duck to carry her on his shoulders to the car. 

“Now, Lily,” Gosalyn said, “comes the second best part! Dad treats us to ice cream after every match!” 

“Oh, does he now?” Lily smiled over to the mallard next to her. 

“It’s either for celebration or for consolation, depending on the match. You’re welcome to join in, of course,” he started. “In fact, as part of the family, your presence is mandatory.” 

Lily blushed at those words and almost stumbled over absolutely nothing but her own feet.  _ Part of the family? _ she asked herself if she just imagined it, but seeing how quickly Drake looked away indicated otherwise. 

“Why don’t you meet us in the mall where we usually go?” Launchpad asked her while putting down Gosalyn. 

“I uh- I guess I can do that. So far our luck with malls hasn’t been that high, but I guess third time’s the charm?” Lily laughed and typed the coordinates into the navigator system. 

+++

“Ah, nothing like celebrating a victory with a sundae,” Gosalyn patted her belly. 

“You did so good, Gosalyn! And I see you’ve been practicing your back blow, like I showed you!” Launchpad grinned and let her steal the strawberry from his ice cream. 

Lily smiled and looked around. The four of them blended seamlessly into the vast sea of families spending time together in a mall. In any other situation, she would have laughed at these people settling for such a mundane life. But sitting here surrounded by three wonderful people, she felt strangely at peace. It had been about two months since they took her in and while she had isolated herself at first, now she was welcomed with mostly open arms. She sighed, thinking about Negaduck and that once they had caught him and locked him up for good, she would probably never see Drake again. 

_ It’s for the best _ , she told herself.  _ It’s fun to play pretend that you fit in, but you don’t. You don’t deserve any of this.  _

A gently placed hand on hers pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked at the table to find Drake’s right hand resting on her left. Her heart started beating fast and when she looked up, he smiled at her in a way that always made her knees weak. 

“Relax,” he almost whispered. “It’s gonna be okay. You’re safe.” 

She nodded and lifted her beak ever so slightly to look into his huge blue eyes that seemed to be fixated on her. 

“...right, dad?” Gosalyn interrupted them and Drake quickly withdrew his hand. 

“Huh? W-what?” He stammered, now flushing. 

“I said that next time we could get one of these huge family servings, right?” Gosalyn repeated herself, leaning over the table. 

“Uh, sure. Yeah,” her father nodded.

Launchpad had been watching their exchange from the corner of his eye while talking to Gosalyn. The feeling of being left out ignited in him. As much as he liked seeing his two friends falling in love, he knew that he had missed his chance of being with the man he had admired for so long. Maybe he should be mad at Lily, but he wasn’t. She was not to blame, maybe no one was. Maybe this was just a matter of circumstances and missed opportunities. 

In that moment, his phone let out a ‘bing,’ signaling a new message. He had been talking to a guy on a dating app and he now asked if he wanted to meet him.  _ This is it _ , he decided.  _ Stop crying over what you can’t have and be happy for these two.  _

“Hey guys, I wanna take a night off tomorrow,” he explained. 

“Uh, what? Launchpad, you never take a night off!” Drake was dumbfounded. 

“I know, and I think it’s in the um… uh… work regulation law?” Launchpad tried to come up with an excuse. 

Lily, who understood the situation before Drake ever would, said, “Sure, take a night off and have fun. Are you meeting with  _ a friend _ ?” 

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Launchpad replied, happy that she knew what he was trying to say. 

“Oh, why didn’t you say so? Sure, have some fun with a friend!” Drake exclaimed. 

“Yes, have some fun L.P. You deserve it!” Lily winked at him which he replied with a knowing grin. 

+++ 

Back in the Negaverse the situation was getting more complicated than Negaduck could have imagined. Lily was working on a very interesting project, offering him a whole new world of opportunities that he couldn’t quite comprehend yet. He had been back for more than two weeks now and yet, as he was standing at the window, drinking the disgusting black mush that passed for coffee, he still couldn’t get the scene of the other Lily in Darkwing’s arms out of his mind. The pain shot through his almost healed fingers when he clenched the cup tightly, the image now seemingly burned into his retina. 

The sound of the elevator opening pulled him back into reality. Launchpad’s hands were covered in mud and he threw the shovel aside when he walked into the kitchen. When he turned on the water tap, the usual yellowish, semi-opaque liquid emerged and he cleaned his hands as best as he could. 

“It’s done. I buried her in a place no one’ll find her,” he explained to Negaduck, who just nodded, watching the big man cleaning his massive hands. “Scrooge won’t like that,” he continued. 

Negaduck shrugged. “We’re not gonna tell him, idiot!” 

“And what if he wants to talk to his daughter?” Launchpad asked, now drying his hands on his vest. 

“Sadly, driven by her undying love for this scientist guy, what was his name? Pyro?” Negaduck sat down at the counter. 

“Gyro,” Launchpad corrected him. 

“Right, Gyro. Well, driven by her undying love for him, she ran away to meet him and we all know what happens to girls like her in a town like this. What a tragedy. Boo-hoo.” Negaduck laughed. 

“Okay...well, we should stock up on supplies, weapons and henchmen, anyway, just in case,” Launchpad frowned. 

“Yeah, sure, you do that, alright? I have to go,” Negaduck waved absentmindedly. 

Launchpad scoffed. “You always  _ have to go _ ! It’s like  _ I’m _ running this business here!” 

Negaduck got up from his stool, approached Launchpad and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. “Yes, and you’re the only one I would trust with that. Now if you would fuck me until I can’t walk anymore, my departure would be postponed, so you better put some effort into it.” 

Launchpad lifted Negaduck on the counter and did just as he was commanded. 


	10. Chapter 10

“Apparently, during the attack on the mall, the Liquidator bailed Megavolt out of prison,” Drake complained, “and now they’ve had almost a month of planning before the prison director bothered to tell me!” He threw aside his phone. “Isn’t that just  _ great _ ?  _ Wonderful _ , I tell you!  _ Marvelous _ !” 

The rest of them endured his rant throughout breakfast with nothing but approving nods. 

“If it’s any help, there’s not much plotting and planning with those guys, anyway.” Lily put a hand on his shoulder. “They’re not really the type for elaborate plans, believe me. So we only have to worry about Negaduck.” 

He looked at her hand on his shoulder and then into her eyes, trying to smile, when the alarm in the house rang through every room. They all checked their phones simultaneously, Gosalyn leaning on Launchpad’s arm to read the news too. 

“Vandalism? What? They say it’s blasted all over the news too!” Launchpad exclaimed. 

The four of them got up to turn on the TV in the living room, where the newscaster reported: 

_ “An unknown perpetrator cut lines into the concrete with a chainsaw and lit them on fire with gasoline on East West Main Street, bringing traffic to an abrupt halt. Our helicopter is now almost above the scene of the crime and it seems like there are words spelled out. We have a clear visual now, the lines read:  _

_ COME BACK. I’M NOT MAD.” _

Lily couldn’t hear what the newscaster reported next over the ringing in her ears, but she felt three pairs of eyes staring at her. “Well, I guess that message is for me,” she frowned, rubbing her temple. 

“Isn’t that  _ romantic?! _ ” Drake snapped. “What are you gonna do now? Run straight into his arms and tell him all about us?!” 

“What? No!” Lily gasped. She couldn’t believe her ears. How could he even think that? “After all this time we spent together, you  _ still _ think so low of me?!” 

“What’s going on with you, dad?!” Gosalyn asked with a sharp undertone. 

“Well, I don’t know, something must have drawn you to him in the first place, right? Maybe it was a grand gesture like that? Is  _ that _ what you like?” Drake didn’t understand why and yet, he was infuriated. 

“Drake, calm down…” Launchpad tried to appease him. 

“Calm down?! Really?! Well, guess who’s gotta go out there now and deal with this mess?!” he yelled. 

“Be thankful for that! The sooner Negaduck is locked up, the sooner you get rid of me!” Lily compensated her hurt feelings with rage. 

“Oh, believe me, _ I am _ !” Drake replied and stormed out of the room. 

“What was  _ that _ ?” Gosalyn asked the others. 

“Your father is a di- er...donkey, Gosalyn!” Lily wiped her tears and tried to calm herself. 

“Maybe it’s beca-” Launchpad started when Darkwing entered the living room. 

“You coming, L.P.?” Darkwing’s tone was an order more than a question. 

“Uh, sure. See you later, ladies,” Launchpad tipped his baseball cap and grinned, trying to lighten the mood. 

Lily got up from the sofa. “I’m gonna clean the kitchen now, and you, do your homework, okay? When your father is in this mood, it’s best not to provoke him more.” 

“I guess you’re right,” Gosalyn sighed and slouched up the stairs and into her room. 

Lily put on her headphones and turned the volume up way too much when the first tunes of her favorite song started. _What an asshole!_ _Have fun out there, dickhead, I’m not gonna help you! Urgh, I hope you fall and break every single bone in your body!_ Lily stopped aggressively scrubbing the plates and tilted her head for a second. _Okay, actually, I don’t want that._ _But I hope you get a good beating! Well, I don’t want that either…_

She took a deep breath and tried to focus on cleaning. “I hope those two are alright,” she whispered and checked her newsfeed. When she saw video footage of Darkwing’s heroic introduction, she turned off the phone. 

“IDIOT!” she screamed and continued her chores. 

+++

Later, Lily sat on the couch, checking the news and her phone every few minutes while trying not to care about the situation, when she got a call from Launchpad. 

“We didn’t find him, but we’re gonna head out to  Audubon Bay Bridge now. Feel free to come too,” he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. 

She freed Gosalyn from her homework and together they used the secret chairs to get to the hideout. Darkwing Duck sat on the old sofa in the corner, his feet dangling over the armrest and he was fumbling with his phone. He briefly looked up when Lily and his daughter emerged. 

“He got away,” he said now pretending to be fixated on his phone. 

“So I heard,” Lily replied when she passed him to take her seat in front of the computer. 

“Is it just me or did the room just get way colder?” Gosalyn whispered to Launchpad. 

“It’s not just you, kiddo,” he nodded. “I hope something happens tonight otherwise we have to endure these two.” 

+++

After two more hours with the only sound being Launchpad and Gosalyn playing their mobile game, Lily spoke up. “There’s been a robbery. Looks like Quackerjack is behind it!”

Darkwing jumped off the sofa and after two large strides he leaned over her shoulder to check the monitor. “Finally! Something is happening! Now, you two stay here, Launchpad, get on the Ratcatcher!” 

Gosalyn and Lily waved them goodbye and turned to the computer.

“Man, what is that? Looks like a zombie apocalypse to me!” Gosalyn pointed to one of the side monitors. 

Lily checked the footage. A horde of people walked seemingly mindlessly through the crime scene, loading sacks of money into Quackerjack’s signature life size toy car. “You’re right. What’s going on in there?” 

“I wanna go there too! Let’s catch up with ‘em!” Gosalyn shouted excitedly. 

“No! You sit down. I’m gonna check in with your dad and Launchpad!” Lily demanded and pressed a button on her computer. “Can you guys hear me? There’s a situation.” Lily quickly described what they had seen on the security camera footage. 

“Zombies?!” Launchpad shrieked in an unnaturally high voice. “I hate zombies!” 

“They’re not really zombies, Launchpad!” Darkwing scolded him. “Does Quackerjack have some sort of mind control device?” 

“Not that I know of, but it would definitely be his style,” Lily replied while trying to keep the overexcited Gosalyn from pushing more buttons. 

Lily could see their bike now approaching the crime scene where they were immediately attacked by a horde of mindless people. 

“Don’t hurt them! They’re civilians!” Lily gasped when she saw Launchpad and Darkwing fighting their way through them. 

“Yeah,” Darkwing answered when he landed another punch, “civilians who’re trying to kill us!” 

“Where’s Quackerjack?!” Launchpad asked as he pushed another person away from him. 

Lily scoured traffic cams and other sources to find him and finally, a few blocks away, she saw the clown standing on a roof, laughing maniacally as he clicked buttons on a screen. 

“I got him, he’s on the- shit!” Lily’s cursing resulted in Gosalyn giggling. “Guys, there are more coming! I don’t know what it is but he’s controlling the people somehow!”

“What do we do?!” Launchpad asked, his panic rising. 

“Lily,” Darkwing whispered in a low voice. “Can you...can you come here and help?!” She almost didn’t understand what he said. 

“Hang on, guys! I’m on my way,” Lily got up and ran towards the Thunderquack.

Before she closed the door, Gosalyn sat next to her. Deciding that it would take too long to convince the girl to get off the plane, she started the engine. 

“Keen gear! I didn’t know you could fly the jet!” Gosalyn marveled as they flew through the night sky. 

“I uh-I picked it up when I was with uh-” Lily stammered. 

“With Negaduck, yeah. I figured.” Gosalyn grinned. 

By the time they reached the roof, it was hard to make out Darkwing and Launchpad in a sea of people. 

“I hope they’re okay!” Gosalyn pressed her face against the windows. 

“I’m sure they are,” Lily replied, trying to sound more convincing than she actually was. “Now you stay here, sweetheart, okay?” 

“But-” Gosalyn wanted to protest. 

“This is no time for arguments, Gosalyn. You  _ will _ stay here. That is not negotiable.” Lily’s tone sharpened. 

“Fine!” the red haired girl crossed her arms. “You sound like dad!” 

Lily jumped out of the jet and approached Quackerjack. 

“Jackie!” she shouted. 

He turned around and his grin grew wider. “Boss Lady! Do you want to play too?!” 

“Sure,” Lily smiled. “What are you playing there?” 

He held up a WaddlePad. “Look at this thing! I had this app made that makes people who download it do whatever I want!” He laughed hysterically. 

“Interesting! How fun!” Lily grabbed the tablet. “Lemme take a look, you know I’m an expert in such things. Maybe I can optimize it for you!”

She quickly browsed through the settings in hopes of a feature to deactivate it and luckily she found it. 

“Hey, don’t push that!” Quackerjack screamed but it was too late.

He tried to wrestle the device out of her hands, when a purple cloud emerged behind them. 

“I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the cure for this malicious mutiny of mindlessness! I am-”

“Darkwing Duck?” Quackerjack looked bewildered and Lily took this opportunity to put handcuffs around Quackerjack’s wrists. 

“Not fair!” Quackerjack protested when she pushed him into the ground. “Since when are you working with  _ him _ ?!” 

“I’m sorry, Jackie. The tides have turned, I guess.” Lily sighed. 

“I can handle it from here,” said Darkwing, kneeling down. But he soon realized that Lily didn’t need any help. He stepped back and watched the scene unfold for a moment before taking out his grappling hook and disappearing into the night. 

Lily looked up to the roof where Darkwing must have landed. “What’s up with him?” she asked Launchpad. 

“You know what’s up? He’s not the center of attention! Plus it must’ve hurt his ego that he needed to ask you for help,” Launchpad snickered. When he saw her concerned look, he added, “Go after him. I can handle the situation here.” 

She nodded, taking out a spare grappling hook from the Thunderquack while listening to Gosalyn’s overexcited retelling of the events. With another shot, she flew through the sky and landed softly on a roof where she saw a purple caped mallard sitting on the edge. 

“Hey,” Lily smiled. “Room for one more?” 

Darkwing tilted his head slightly towards her and nodded. 

“Why are you so grumpy, huh?” she asked, gently pushing her shoulder into his.

_ I don’t know. I can’t think when you’re smiling at me like that,  _ was the first thought that crossed his mind but he shook it off. Darkwing glimpsed into her bright green eyes and asked himself what it was that had made him lose his temper all day.  _ Why do you have to be so gorgeous?  _ With that thought, he realized something so obvious yet so strange.  _ Oh shit, I think I like you!  _ He almost chuckled at the curse word. Obviously, she was already a bad influence. Was jealousy what he felt all day because of Negaduck?

“It’s nothing. It’s just...I don’t want to rely on your help.” He sighed. 

This hit Lily like a boulder. _ Were all these weeks and all those hints nothing? Did I misread the situation? _ He looked away, lost in thought again. She would have given everything to know what he was thinking now. Her brain told her to just leave this roof, spare her the humiliation of being rejected for the first time in her life, but she had to know. “Why not?” 

“I don’t know...I just-” Darkwing frowned. 

“You don’t trust me, right?” Lily tried to look into his eyes but he turned aside. 

“No! I mean, yes!” Darkwing shook his head. “I mean, yes, I trust you, I think. It’s...ugh, I don’t know! It’s all so confusing!” 

Lily’s heart started to beat faster.  _ It’s so pathetic. I’m acting like a little girl, _ Lily scolded herself.  _ Please don’t send me away, please. There’s so much I want to tell you.  _ Another voice screamed over the first one. “Darkwing, I would do  _ anything _ for you! I’m trying so hard to change for  _ you _ ! I quit smoking about a month ago, did you notice?” 

He finally looked at her.  _ Oh, great. You’re making her cry, idiot! Say something nice! _ Darkwing urged himself. “I did.” 

“I just want you to see me.” She swallowed her tears and stared at the busy street below.  _ I just want you to want me. _

His hand gently lifted her beak and turned it towards himself. 

“I see you, Lily.” He smiled softly. 

She leaned closer. “And do you like what you see?” 

He came so close that their beaks almost touched. 

“I do,” he answered, closing the gap between them. 


	11. Chapter 11

Gosalyn frowned over her math homework. _Who needs this stuff anyway?_ she asked herself and got up. _Maybe dad can help me_. She sighed one last time as she made her way downstairs. 

Launchpad sat in the living room, deeply focused on one of his afternoon shows. She could hear him laugh as she searched the kitchen, garden, and garage for her father, though she had a hint where she might find him. 

Sneaking down the stairs into the basement, she saw Lily in Drake’s arms as they shared what Gosalyn assumed to be a passionate kiss. She rolled her eyes and went back upstairs. She sat down next to Launchpad and crossed her arms. 

“Hey, what’s up, Gosbump?” Launchpad asked her.

“Ugh, it’s dad and Lily. They’re kissing in the basement, _again_!” Gosalyn complained. “It’s been like this all week!” 

“So you noticed, huh?” Launchpad’s smile turned into worry. 

“It’s hard _not_ to notice!”

He turned off the TV and leaned over to look into Gosalyn’s eyes. “And does it bother you?” 

Gosalyn shrugged. “No. I mean, it’s what adults do, right?” 

“Well, most of ‘em, yeah. But does it bother you that your dad does it with Lily?” asked Launchpad, trying to narrow down his question. 

“Not really. I mean, I saw how they looked at each other with their heart eyes and stuff. It was obvious that they would kiss at some point, right?” Gosalyn snickered.

“Heh, right.” Launchpad smiled. 

“But why does he tell me to do my homework and then go kiss? I need help with math!” Gosalyn threw her hands up. 

“Just wait for them to get back up and come up with some excuse. Wanna watch Pelican Island?” Launchpad turned on the TV again. 

“You bet I do!” Gosalyn crawled onto his lap. 

“Oh and Gos, don’t tell ‘em that you know yet, okay? They need to figure things out, and…well, it’s adult stuff.” Launchpad wrapped his arm around her. 

“Yeah, it’s whatever, anyway.” Gosalyn leaned into the embrace. 

+++

Lily sighed deeply when their beaks parted. 

“Drake,” she whispered and slowly opened her eyes. He smiled at her, that coy and sweet smile he had given her after every kiss. 

“Hm?” he asked with half-closed eyes. 

“We can’t pretend to do the laundry all week,” Lily’s voice grew a bit louder. 

“I know... Nobody would believe you’re helping this much in the house.” He grinned at her. 

Lily laughed. “Hey, I have other talents!” 

“Oh, yeah? And what would that be?” Drake mocked her jokingly, knowing what would happen next. 

“Come here and I’ll show you!” Lily pulled him closer by the shirt and into another kiss. 

Whenever she leaned closer to him in those private moments throughout the last week, she could feel the beginning of a well-known swelling coming from his crotch, and she’d bite her beak in excitement. So far, he didn’t act on this physical reaction, but she could feel him pressing closer against her, tightening his grip and moaning deeply. His shyness excited her, but she also wanted more.

A few minutes later, Drake gently pushed her away. “I have to make dinner…” 

Lily tilted her head. “We could order pizza.” 

Drake shook his head. “No, no pizza. Gosalyn needs fresh veggies and healthy carbs, and so do you!” He pointed at the rips showing through her shirt.

“Hey, not fair! I gained lots of weight, see?” 

She lifted her top and Drake flushed. He reached out his hand but then withdrew it quickly. 

“It’s okay, Drake. Touch me if you want to.” Lily grinned and grabbed his hand, putting it under her shirt before it fell down again. 

“Um… I- uh...” Drake stammered. She could feel his hand cramping up. He relaxed a bit when she stroked the back of his head. His hand slowly moved along her waistline and she heard him panting, and saw his beak trembling. 

“Relax, Drake,” Lily leaned in closer and gave him a tiny peck on the side of his bill when he stepped back. 

“I, uh…dinner!” he exclaimed and rushed upstairs. 

Lily smiled until she turned around and realized he had left her with a huge pile of unfolded laundry. She rolled her eyes and started working her way through the clothes. 

+++

They both agreed to keep their...whatever it was - secret for now. Drake mentioned that Gosalyn might be upset and Lily had also Launchpad’s feelings in mind. Besides, most of the time, Gosalyn was still gushing over the “real-life zombie apocalypse,” as she called it, and how it was the best thing that ever happened in her entire life.

“So adopting you was not the best event in your life?” Drake frowned during dinner. 

“Well... I mean, it’s a close second, dad! But the _zombies_!” Gosalyn jumped on her chair and mimicked the classical zombie walk. 

“Technically, they were not zombies. Just mind controlled people,” Drake argued but his daughter ignored him. 

“And then we came crashing in with the Thunderquack and buried them under the plane!” Gosalyn now smashed her fork into the mashed potatoes. 

“That’s not what happened!” Lily laughed while wiping mashed potato splatters off the table. 

“But I have to say,” Drake started, “I didn’t even know the Thunderquack could land this smoothly, right, Launchpad?” He gave his partner a nudge. 

“Yeah, who knew you’re such an awesome pilot, Lily?” Launchpad’s laugh seemed forced.

Lily read his face and weighed her words. “I’m not an _awesome_ pilot. It was mostly just adrenaline and luck. Believe me, I’m nothing compared to you.”

“There’s no need to be modest!” Drake burst in, completely unaware of the subtext. 

Lily was relieved when Gosalyn once again demanded their attention to talk about the alleged zombie outbreak. 

+++ 

Later that night, Lily and Launchpad were alone in their hideout in the Audubon Bay Bridge, while Darkwing demanded to go on one of his occasional solo adventures against a bank robber.

“Hey, I’m sorry about what he said,” Lily said while turning her chair around to face Launchpad. 

The tall mallard was cleaning the Thunderquack. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” he answered with a sharp undertone. 

“I mean it. You _are_ the better pilot and…” Lily was searching for words while the guilt of not telling him the full truth blocked her thoughts. 

“Lily, it’s okay, really. Now, did I tell you about this guy I met last week? Sasha?” Launchpad walked over to the console and sat down next to her. 

“Huh? I didn’t know about Sasha. I thought you met a guy named Steven.” Lily was relieved that he changed the subject. 

“Oh, I did. But you know how it is on these apps. You hook up and then move on.” he shrugged. “Plus, I’m not looking for something long term. Too much to do with the job and all.” 

“Huh, so just some quick fun? I didn’t know you were such a player, Launchpad!” Lily laughed. 

Launchpad gave her a shy grin that made her instantly understand why people would fall in love with him at first sight. 

“Oh, you know… anyway, I wanted to say that about-” He was interrupted by the Ratcatcher emerging through the tunnels. 

Darkwing took off his helmet with a disparaging grin. “And with that, another evildoer has been brought to justice by the dangerous and yet _dashingly_ handsome Darkwing Duck!” 

Launchpad and Lily rolled their eyes at each other the second the masked mallard turned around to pick up his hat. 

“So,” Darkwing said, approaching them, “any other news? Or is it another silent night?” He stood between them and placed his hands on both their shoulders. 

“It’s gonna be a silent _morning_ soon. It’s already 3 a.m.,” Lily replied, pointing at the digital watch on her monitor. 

“Oh, shoot! One of us has to go home and sleep to drive Gosalyn to school!” Darkwing exclaimed. 

“I’ll go,” Launchpad stood up before Lily could even think about an answer. “I’m sleepy from taking care of the Thunderquack, anyway.” He gave them a tired smile and went home through the secret tunnel. 

“Huh, looks like we’re alone,” Lily said and felt Darkwing turning her chair around to face him.

“Looks like it,” he smiled through half closed eyes and she straightened her back to kiss him. 

Still feeling the rush of his recent victory, Darkwing bent down to lift her up and place her on the table. 

“What are you doing?” Lily moaned. 

“Celebrating my success,” he answered in a low voice. 

“You’re so full of yourself, you know that?” Lily teased him. 

“I thought that’s what you liked about me?” Darkwing winked at her. 

“Oh, don’t I know it.” Lily pulled him into another kiss. 

He was so much bolder than in their prior encounters, pushing her onto the cold metal desk with his weight while he held her in a close embrace. His kiss was wilder and messier too. She could feel his urge rising when he pressed himself against her knee. 

Lily decided to make the first move by throwing away his already falling hat and unbuttoning his jacket. He let her hands wander over his turtleneck but the second she wanted to explore the areas further down, he took a step back. 

“It’s getting late! Er… I mean, early! Yes, we should go to bed and rest,” Darkwing quickly buttoned up his jacket again. 

“Go to bed together?” Lily winked and tried to position herself to lead him on. 

“What? No! I mean… eh, it’s late and I’m tired. _Early_! Yes, that’s what I said!” He stormed off and activated the trap sofa transport without waiting for her. 

Lily watched the scene unfolding with a perplexed look and once the tunnels were free to use again, she made her way home. The house was silent when she emerged again, meaning Drake must have rushed to go to bed so he could avoid the topic. At first, she decided to leave it at that, but then Lily searched through her dresser and found a black lingerie dress. The dark translucent fabric and the laces at the top were originally chosen to impress Negaduck, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be repurposed. 

She snuck past Gosalyn’s room and without knocking entered Drake’s bedroom. He slowly lifted his head.

“Lily? What’s up?” he asked, turning on the lamp next to him. 

“Drake,” she whispered and stepped closer. “There’s something I wanted to ask you.” 

His eyes blinked rapidly. “What the heck are you wearing?!” 

Lily got a good look at him in his night dress and replied. “Well, what the heck are _you_ wearing? Is that a night dress? Like for grandmas?” 

“ _Excuse me?!_ This is a nightgown, and they are unisex! Established in the Victorian era to-” 

“Okay, okay, professor.” Lily sat next to him and reached for his hand. “Drake, I’m not here to talk about nightwear. I wanted to ask you if you want to have sex with me.” 

“WHAT?!” Drake jumped up, pulling his hand away. 

“So that’s a no? Alright…” Lily tried to hide her disappointment and started to get up again.

Drake reached out and held her by the wrist. “No, wait! I do!” 

She sat down and smiled at him expectantly. 

“I do, really. It’s just… I… uh…” Drake stammered. 

Lily’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. Are you a virgin?” 

“What? No!” Drake protested. “It’s just...it’s been a while and I…” He buried his flushing face in his hands. 

“You wanna take things slow? That’s okay. I admit, I may have been a bit bold. It’s not often that men don’t want to jump into bed with me immediately. Kinda refreshing, to be honest.” Lily patted him on the shoulder. 

“It’s not that,” he sighed. 

Drake sat up straight again and tried to look into her eyes. “I might not be…good.” he whispered and quickly looked away. 

Lily couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, is that your concern? Let me lead then.” Saying that, she lifted herself onto his lap and started kissing him. 

+++

After a long and slow lovemaking, the two cuddled up under the blanket, both sweating, panting, and deeply satisfied. 

“Your concerns were unjustified,” Lily smiled and kissed the side of his beak. “Thank you so much for that.” 

“Uh, you’re welcome?” Drake grinned. 

“Okay, I gotta quickly wash up.” Lily slowly got up even though her body refused to flee from Drake’s embrace until the last second. 

“Listen, I don’t wanna be like this, but…” Drake started, trying to find the right words. 

“You want me to go back to my room because of Launchpad and Gosalyn?” 

He nodded, trying to read her expression.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Lily leaned over to give him a kiss on the forehead and made her way to the bathroom. While she showered, the events of this night made her smile and giggle like a teenager.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AJ here. I'm uploading today's chapter due to some outside circumstances. Things are gonna get heavy here, so mind the tags and click away if you need to.

Negaduck viciously typed on the keyboard. He didn’t understand one bit of the code Lily had written. Just like her Primeverse counterpart, she was way more skilled in this field than he was, even though he would never admit it. 

“Fuck this shit!” he screamed, slamming his fists on the keyboard. “Stupid cunt and your stupid fucking- ARGH!” He got up, ripped the monitor off the stand, and smashed it into the next wall. 

Her research had created a very interesting playground for him which he used regularly, but now, the time for games was over. The other Lily did not react to his grand gesture in the other universe and he felt like he made a fool of himself. His thoughts lingered on their encounter in the mall and he fantasized about just pulling the trigger, this time shooting her straight in the head. _I should have just taken her with me and killed her slowly, tearing her apart limb by limb, and sent the pieces to her beloved masked hero!_ Noting the idea for a later time, he pulled the sweaty shirt over his head and threw it to the side on a pile of dirty laundry. 

Showering in the Negaverse disgusted him ever since his first steps in the Primeverse but at this point, his own scent made him sick. He took off his mask and gently put it on the desk next to a coffee mug that stood there for days now. The liquid had dissolved into a gooey black mush and would probably mold soon. 

_Her last coffee_ , he thought, touching the handle. Somehow the porcelain turned into feathers, his hand now once again on her neck. Negaduck withdrew the hand and shook his head _. I should have killed this bitch after she helped me with this shit_. 

In a drawer, he grabbed a little metal tin filled with a white powder. He dug two fingers into it and then reached for his nostrils, inhaling the substance. He instantly relaxed and finally made his way to the shower. 

+++

On the way up the elevator, Negaduck adjusted the collar of his red shirt. He didn’t feel clean after letting a stream of yellow-ish semi opaque water run down his body, but at least the smell of sweat was less noticeable. 

His grin widened when he admired his own reflection and he had to compose his face again once the elevator reached the top floor. Negaduck walked past his huge desk and the frosted glass wall into the living room where Gosalyn was submerged into a book. Launchpad was scrolling through something on his notebook. The huge duck looked up and met his gaze with an angry glare.

“Man, you’ve been down there for _ages!”_ Launchpad complained. “I was about to go check on you!” 

“Don’t give me that shit now,” Negaduck snapped. 

“N- Negaduck?” the red-haired girl stammered. 

“What?!“ Negaduck barked. 

“Where’s Lily?” she asked. 

“Gone.” 

“When will she come back? She was supposed to teach me algebra today,” Gosalyn explained. 

“I said she’s _gone!_ And if you don’t wanna join her, you better shut up!” Negaduck yelled. 

Launchpad got up and stood between him and Gosalyn. “Hey, chill out!” 

“Ugh! Don’t worry, I won’t break your precious _dolly.”_ Negaduck waved dismissively and sniffed snot back up his nostrils. 

“Did you sniff some again? Ever since you came back with the broken hand, you've been taking a bit too much, don’t you think?” Launchpad squinted, trying to check Negaduck’s pupils. 

The smaller duck quickly turned around. “Stop patronizing me!” 

He rushed off and went into the room he had Lily stay in. Rummaging through her possessions, he found what he was looking for-the notebook she used for taking notes on their project. He flipped through the pages, trying to find the solution to the problem he encountered earlier. Even though her handwriting was clean and neat, he didn’t understand much of it, infuriating him further. 

_What does D. em p. Ex. mean, dammit?!_ Negaduck threw the book aside and looked around in the room. Another smaller notebook caught his attention. It was pastel pink and engraved with the letters: _LMDXII,_ which he assumed stood for Lily McDuck and the number twelve. Opening the first page, Negaduck realized that this must be a diary. At first, he scoffed and closed it again, but his curiosity took over. He sat down on the bed and started reading. 

The notebook started about six months ago and was half full. She mostly wrote about trying to match her father’s expectations while also knowing she’s always being watched, her cousin Donald reporting back to Scrooge McDuck in blind obedience, even though he liked her. Negaduck deduced that she was never allowed a day off, or allowed to even meet with other people. All that Scrooge wanted from her was to work on her projects and studies. 

Suddenly, her calm and composed tone shifted when she started writing about her co-worker, a scientist called Gyro. Even though the tonal change was subtle, Negaduck chuckled reading about what seemed to be the reserved intellectual version of a daydreaming girl. 

_“Maybe I can convince father to set us up on a long term project. I would quite like that,”_ was the most obvious hint he could find, followed by Lily describing her father’s reaction to the slightest affection she might have for this man. With resignation, she wrote that Gyro would probably have a terrible accident soon, since this appeared to be the usual procedure in the past. 

Her tone shifted into surprise when she described that due to failing her father’s expectations, she would now have to go to St. Canard for what she called, _“a punishment not unlike sending a child to their room without dinner.”_ Negaduck had to grin at her descriptions of the state the city was in. Clearly, she hadn’t been out in Duckburg either, since they were not really better off, except for Scrooge in his luscious mansion. 

His smile died when Lily started describing Negaduck. 

_“Along with his unstable personality, I’m also deeply concerned about his drug abuse. From my deductions, he seems to frequently take in a white powder. His violent nature takes over whenever his temper is rising, resulting in him going as far as killing people seemingly at random. From what I’ve witnessed so far, his reign over St. Canard is purely due to a construct of fear he has built, not only among the rivaling gangs but also his henchmen. Launchpad, my father’s employee, and Negaduck seem to be in a sexual relationship, which leaves me wondering about Launchpad’s loyalty_.” 

He could clearly read that the past months in St. Canard had changed her positive attitude into bitterness and melancholia. A few pages before the end, she wrote that she asked her father to bring her back home but he apparently told her to be professional and do what she was told. 

Negaduck reached the last page and read it slowly. She wrote about one last personal experiment.

“ _My body behaves differently now. Along with sickness, I also noticed an increase in hunger, which given the very strict rations in Negaduck’s domain could cause a problem in later months. Maybe I could convince him to increase mine. Since it’s his…_ ” The last words were written in scribbles and ink smeared over the page. A stark contrast to the rest of the book. 

Her last written words were, _“I want to go home.”_ He swallowed and gasped. Scanning the last page over and over again, his heart beat faster with every consecutive read. In his rising fury, he ripped it out and started tearing the book apart, snippets of paper landing on the floor. 

His tantrum didn’t stop there. He pulled apart the pillow he was just sitting on and knocked over the shelf, sending books flying everywhere. He punched his fists into the desk until the flimsy wood broke, splinters painfully piercing into his skin. In the climax of his rage, he punched his injured fists into the wall until blood dripped from them and the pain was too unbearable. 

Negaduck fell onto his knees and inspected the room and then his shaking hands. Suddenly, he burst into laughter and didn’t stop until his beak and diaphragm hurt from exhaustion. 


	13. Chapter 13

Lily stood in the parking lot and looked around nervously. This was the only elementary school in the area and yet, she was still not convinced this was the correct one. Due to an emergency, Darkwing and Launchpad had to run off to fight a crime on the other side of town and it was up to Lily to pick up Gosalyn from school for the first time. 

“Just follow the GPS. It’s the huge yellow building, can’t miss it,” Darkwing hastily explained while putting on his cape. 

When the bell rang and kids Gosalyn’s age started storming through the doors, she was relieved and her beak formed a wide grin when a well known pigtailed girl ran into her arms with a shy boy tagging along. He picked up Gosalyn’s backpack which she threw aside when she saw Lily.

“Hey, Gos, Honkman. How are you, kids?” Lily asked after putting the girl back down. 

“Good,” Honker smiled coyly and handed Gosalyn the backpack.

“So are you coming home with us too?” Lily tilted her head. 

“No, I have science club and clarinet lessons after,” he answered. 

“Excuse me?” A younger colibri hummingbird woman approached them. “Who are you? Strangers are not allowed on campus.” 

Gosalyn waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, relax, Mrs. Appleton. This is my dad’s girlfriend. She’s picking me up,” 

“Wha-” Lily blushed but quickly shook it off. 

“Oh, I see,” Appleton’s face softened into a smile. “Well, have a nice day, then. So sorry to bother you.” 

“No, you’re just doing your job. Thanks,” Lily replied and tried to sound casual. “Alright, time to go.” 

Once they were on the road, Lily looked into the back mirror. “Gosalyn, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” the girl grinned in the reflection. 

“Why did you tell Mrs. Appleton I’m your dad’s girlfriend?” 

“I don’t know, aren’t you?” Gosalyn shrugged. 

“Uh…” Lily tried to find an answer while also driving safely. “Let’s talk about this at home, okay?”

“Okay,” Gosalyn focused on her phone again.

_ Girlfriend? Am I his girlfriend? _ Lily asked herself.  _ I mean, we’ve had a fun couple of weeks, how much is it now? A month? Maybe we’re just two buddies living together and sharing a good time. Friends with benefits?  _ Lily thought about Drake almost constantly, but now his face appeared in her mind. His huge beautiful eyes and how they glowed when he looked at her, the way his oversized bill bent when he smiled. The wrinkles under his eyes after a long night of crime fighting followed by a long session of lovemaking almost every day for the last three weeks now. Being a masked vigilante sure works wonders for your stamina! 

On the next red light, she picked up the phone to send him a quick text: 

_ Got Gos, we need to talk.  _

+++

“What’s up?” Drake asked with a concerned look when he met her in the attic. 

“Please don’t freak out, but...” Lily started, “...when I picked up Gosalyn, she referred to me as your ‘girlfriend.’”

“What?!” Drake’s eyes widened in shock. “How? Why?  _ How _ ?!”

“I don’t know. Maybe we’re not as good at keeping secrets as we thought?” Lily comforted him by patting his shoulder. 

“And how did she react? Was she mad? Does she hate me now?” Drake panicked. 

“Relax, Drake. I think the best word to describe it is ‘indifference.’ She didn’t really seem to care all that much.” 

Drake looked up and tried to smile. “Well, are you?” 

“Huh?!” Now it was Lily’s turn to be taken aback.

“Are you my girlfriend?” There it was again, this sweet coy smile that Lily loved so much. 

“I, uh- I think so?” She returned his smile and they both started giggling. 

Drake took her head into his hands and brushed loose strands of hair from her face before kissing her softly. “Should we tell them then?” 

Lily nodded and they made their way downstairs. 

+++ 

“So, my sweet daughter and my dear friend,” Drake started with his usual pathos when he sat all of them down at the kitchen table. “You might be wondering why I- no, why  _ we _ want to talk to you.”

“You guys wanna tell us you’re an item?” Launchpad asked, bored as if reciting last week's paper. 

“HUH?! How did you-what?!” Drake stammered. 

Lily looked into Launchpad’s eyes, consumed by guilt, but he just winked at her, nodded and smiled. She relaxed her muscles and smiled back, glad that Drake had always been too self-absorbed to notice their nonverbal communication. 

“Yeah, we’ve known for pretty much a month,” Gosalyn said, acting overly unimpressed. 

“You did?! But we were so secretive?” Lily blushed. 

“Well, if you say so. I really can’t wait for you two to teach me how to be a crimefighter, or a bulldozer.” Gosalyn grinned. 

“Gosalyn, why didn’t you say anything?” Drake asked, putting his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. 

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. 

“How does it make you feel?” Drake frowned. 

Gosalyn looked from him to Lily and back. “Well, I’d say it’s alright for me. You clearly need someone to keep your macho behavior in check. But don’t start kissing all over the house! Yuck!”

Lily and Launchpad both started snickering at that and the tension in the room disappeared. 

“But if you  _ really _ want to make up for lying to me for an entire month, you could raise my allowance. Oh, and I don’t have to clean my room for the next few weeks, plus I want a new bike and…” 

“Alright, Gosalyn,” Launchpad interrupted her. “Don’t exploit your dad’s guilty conscience.” 

She rolled her eyes but smiled at them. “Alright, fine! ...but how about pizza for dinner?” 

“Oh, yeah! That’s good compensation!” Launchpad agreed. 

Drake rubbed his temple. “Okay, okay. But just this  _ one time _ !” 

“Yay, pizza for dinner!” Lily shouted excitedly and opened the food delivering app on her phone. 

After filling their bellies with greasy cheese and oily crusts, the family decided to watch a movie at home and just wait for something to happen instead of heading to the hideout. 

Normally, Lily and Drake would sit on each end of the big couch with Gosalyn and Launchpad either on a sofa or between them. Now Launchpad sat down in Lily’s place and Gosalyn next to him, leaving room only between her and Drake. Lily came into the living room with a fresh batch of iced tea and was startled for a second. They all looked at her, Drake with a shy smile while Launchpad and Gosalyn both grinned. She placed the tray on the table and sat down next to her - as she would call him now - boyfriend. 

“So, what do you wanna watch, Gos?” Lily asked her. 

“Zombie Apocalypse on Main Street 4 - Return of the Zombie Mower!” Gosalyn shouted excitedly. 

“Ah, another sleepless night for the rest of us, then. Alright.” Launchpad laughed and streamed the movie from his phone to the TV. 

Throughout the movie, Lily slowly moved closer to Drake until their legs touched. After putting down his glass again, Drake put his arm around Lily as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She leaned into his embrace, both of them without looking at each other once. If this was the feeling of a normal family life, then Lily could get used to it after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not really related to the chapter but I also wrote this smut https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741527/chapters/58049863


	14. Chapter 14

“I gotta say, I really am onto something here.” Drake looked at the selection of opaque roller blinds in the hardware store. 

“Only it wasn’t your idea,” Gosalyn mocked him. 

Launchpad scratched his beak. “Yeah, technically, it was Lily’s idea that we sleep in the morning before noon, and then get up once Gosalyn’s school is out.” 

“Well, maybe. But I said we should have blinds on our windows! Ha!” Drake exclaimed. 

“Whatever. Can we please just decide on which ones to buy?” Lily rolled her eyes. “We’ve been in this store for an hour and if I recall correctly, someone promised us a trip to the nice italian place down the road.” 

“Okay, okay!” Drake put his hands in the air. “How about these? Ooh, but those are also nice-” 

“LILY!” A high pitched voice shrieked through the shelves. 

They turned around to see a dog girl a bit younger than Gosalyn running towards them. 

“SUSIE!” Lily knelt down and caught her. “I can’t believe it! What a coincidence! What are you doing here?!” She pressed her into a close embrace and had to fight back tears.

“I’m here with dad! We’re building a climbing frame!” Susie answered, pointing behind her where Diego hastily stepped towards them. 

“Susan! Don’t just run off!” he panted before he realized the situation. “Oh, my god. _ Lily? _ ” 

The second she let go of the girl, Diego pulled her off her feet and into a hug. “Lily, my goodness! It’s so good to see you!” the tall man sniffed. 

“Okay, but let me down please,” Lily grinned. 

Drake and the rest had watched this scene in silence, but Lily couldn’t help but notice the suspicion in Drake’s eyes when he looked at the huge, muscular, tattooed dog in front of him. 

“Guys, this is Diego. He and his family helped me get off the street. And this adorable lady is Susan, his daughter. Diego, meet Drake, Launchpad, and Gosalyn. Drake is my boyfriend and this is his family.” 

Diego extended his hand to greet them and was met by Launchpad’s friendliest smile, while Drake was reserved. Gosalyn grinned at the other girl and greeted her openly. 

“So, how are you?” Lily asked. 

Diego proudly showed her a badge he wore on a chain around his neck. “Check this out! Three months clean, baby!” 

“That’s so great! I’m so proud of you!” Lily patted him on the arm. “And how are things with… uh…” 

“Ro? He’s okay, they’re still rebuilding the district. Many people died in the fire.” Diego frowned. 

Lily closed her eyes. The fire was no terrible accident, but was by extension her fault. Months ago when she left Negaduck and destroyed his bomb network, he sought revenge by laying waste to her former home, killing many people in one of the most brutal ways imaginable. She did not dare explore this topic further, especially not in a hardware store, and luckily, the subject quickly changed.

“So, you’re the lucky ducky who gets to date my sister?” Diego leaned onto Launchpad. 

“Huh? No! I’m Launchpad.  _ He’s _ Drake!” Launchpad laughed. 

Diego looked down at the small duck in the pastel blue shirt and his eyes widened. “ _ Really? _ ” 

“Got a problem with that, tough guy?” Drake hissed. 

“Drake! Don’t antagonize him!” Lily stepped between the two. 

“No, no, not at all.” The tall dog shook his head. “It’s just that, he’s not your usual type, you know? When I think of Laurence or Pauline-” 

“ _ Pauline?! _ ” Launchpad and Drake gasped. 

“Er, long story. Well, change is refreshing, especially when it’s healthy.” Lily smiled. “Hey, let’s catch up later, okay? How about lunch sometime? Here’s my new number.” Lily scribbled it onto a crumpled piece of paper she found in her bag. 

“Alright, then. You guys have a nice day.” He waved and Susan hugged Lily one last time. 

“So-” 

Lily cut off Drake before he could even finish his first syllable. “Which one of these blinds is it gonna be? These blue ones or those slightly lighter blue ones?” 

“Oh, my sweet doodlebug. This is a prussian blue, almost teal, whereas this is a warmer blue, and due to the added magenta, it has a slight hint of purple which is a plus but-” 

Drake was interrupted by Launchpad’s hand on his shoulder. “Gee, D.W., I think there’s an emergency incoming!” Launchpad pointed to his phone. 

“Huh? I didn’t hear my pho- Oh! Yeah, you’re right! It’s vibrating in my pocket! There’s a vicious villain on a vile er-” Drake rubbed his chin. 

“Are you looking for a word starting with V?” Lily laughed. “Also, what do you mean the alarm went off? I don't have any alarm.” 

“It’s, uh, um…” Launchpad rubbed his temple. 

“A silent alarm, yes!” Drake jumped to his rescue. “For minor crimes like, uh… jaywalking! That’s it!” 

“Yeah! Big jaywalking incident over on East West Street! Oof!” Launchpad nodded. 

“What exactly are we watching here?” Gosalyn snickered.

“I have no idea. So, uh, do you need my help?” Lily tilted her head. 

“No!” Drake and Launchpad shouted in unison. 

“Just, you guys take these blinds, one for each of our bedrooms and...” Drake handed Lily some money. “...treat yourselves at the italian restaurant, okay? And hey, maybe go to the mall after? Here’s some more cash.” He kissed his daughter on the forehead and his girlfriend on the cheek before the two mallards rushed out of the store. 

“What just happened?” Gosalyn looked up. 

“Dunno, but your dad gave us 150 bucks and I think we both know how to spend it, right?” Lily winked. 

“Finish up business here, skip the fancy schmancy restaurant, go for some cheap junk food and spend the day at the laser tag arena?” Gosalyn grinned. 

“Exactly!” 

+++

Loaded with the huge packages from the hardware store, Lily and Gosalyn entered the kitchen through the garage door and dropped their cargo in shock. The room looked like that one time Launchpad, Gosalyn, and Lily tried to follow an easy donut recipe but 10 times worse. Flour had spread like dust on every surface and warm butter ran down the counter. A half-baked cake rested in the oven.

“What the...what happened here?!” said Lily.

“Oh, oh! I know!” Gosalyn jumped up in excitement. 

“Yeah? Enlighten me, then.” Lily looked around, trying to grasp the situation. 

“It’s so obvious! Well, maybe just to me because I’m the daughter of the world’s greatest detective!” Gosalyn swaggered through the room. “Some burglars tried to rob us blind but then they felt guilty and wanted to bake an apology cake. They heard us driving into the garage and ran away!” 

Lily frowned. “Uh, sure, kiddo. Maybe Launchpad came home early and wanted to bake something? He’s probably passed out on cookie dough in his room. Let’s clean it before your dad sees this mess.” 

Gosalyn made a face. 

“Come on, Gosalyn, it’s gonna be fun together. Let’s listen to this playlist of yours and get to work.” 

“Alright…” Gosalyn rolled up her sleeves. 

+++ 

Lily sat on the couch, it was almost midnight. She had followed Darkwing Duck’s and Launchpad’s tracks through her laptop and it seemed he got caught up in a heated battle against Steelbeak but won eventually. She was scrolling through social media and forums when the trap door next to her activated and two battered mallards emerged.

“Oh, my God! Are you okay?!” Lily jumped up and ran towards them. 

She helped Darkwing out of the chair while Launchpad crawled towards the sofa. The huge mallard threw himself into the soft pillows and tilted his head back. With Lily’s help, Darkwing heaved himself next to his partner and took off his hat and mask. 

“I’m gonna get you guys some ice,” Lily rushed into the kitchen. 

She could hear soft mumbling in the living room and when she came back, the two drakes tried to arrange a bunch of broken lilies into a bouquet. 

“What are you doing?” Lily chuckled. 

“It’s not too late yet!” Launchpad pointed at the clock. He made way on the couch for Lily to fit between them and patted the empty space while Darkwing still tried to keep the flower’s heads from bending. The two men looked at each other and then to Lily.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” they both shouted and Drake tried handing her the flowers. 

Lily let the ice packs fall into her lap, resulting in her letting out a loud “IIIIEK!” and Launchpad grabbed the packs and threw one on them on the desk while putting the other one over his swollen eye. Drake, too tired to react in time, just watched the scene unfold with his eyes wide open. 

“Uh, the flowers?” The purple clad mallard held them out once more. 

“How did you know? Shit, even I forgot!” Lily took them off her boyfriend’s hands and gulped. 

“Your criminal files record, remember? You said it’s July 15th, unless you lied.” Launchpad grinned, pulling her into a hug. 

“Launchpad! The lilies!” Lily tried to shield them. 

“Don’t worry. They were already destroyed when  _ someone _ sat on them. Let me get a vase though,” he answered mockingly, looking over to Drake when he took the broken bouquet out of her hands. 

“You guys are too sweet,” Lily bent towards Drake and kissed him. This awoken him from his fatigue infused trance and he pulled her even closer. 

“Man, I’m so sorry you had to clean the kitch-” Launchpad came back from the kitchen and his smile died. These two were already engulfed in a tight embrace and seemingly had forgotten about him, and who could blame them?

He turned around, putting the vase on the shelf in the hallway. The moment his foot touched the first stair, Lily shouted, “Launchpad!” 

“Where are you going, buddy?” Drake turned around, his girlfriend still in his arms.

“I, uh- I thought you wanted to be alone.” He scratched his neck and grinned coyly. 

“Nonsense! Sit down!” Drake demanded. 

Launchpad’s beak widened into a big smile and he sat back down. 

“Now,” Lily placed her hands on the thighs of the mallards on either side, “Tell me why we had to clean the kitchen.” 

“Weeell...” Drake scratched his beak. “We planned on distracting you and Gosalyn and baking a big cake, ready for you when you come home. But let’s just say  _ someone _ was not a big help!” 

Launchpad gave them another innocent smile. “But then, we got the real alarm this time and it was Steelbeak, so it was serious as you probably saw on the news.” 

Lily nodded. 

“We did get you some flowers on the way home, though,” Drake pointed out. 

Lily wrapped her arm around both their necks and pulled them closer. “You guys are the sweetest! I never had a birthday in my life, so this one is the best! By default!” 

“We’ll give you a better one next year,” Drake said softly. 

“Next year?” Lily blushed. 

“Yes, next year.” Launchpad assured her, wrapping his huge arms around them both. 


	15. Chapter 15

“It was your birthday and you didn’t tell me?!” Gosalyn complained on their way back from school. “We could have spent the entire day together doing awesome birthday stuff!” 

“Gosalyn, we ate a huge burger and fries and spent the rest of the day in a laser tag arena,” said Lily, looking through the rear mirror. “That’s pretty much a perfect birthday in my book.”

This was the fifth time she picked up the young duck from school, and she came to not only enjoy but also crave these moments. They were all alone in the car and Gosalyn would either talk about absolutely everything, or be silent and stare at the phone or out of the window, her huge green eyes gazing into the world with a fascination only kids like her had. 

Lily was never a person who liked kids. Sure, she had practically been Susan’s aunt and loved the girl, but she was just that-the fun auntie that would come around and play with the toys. With Gosalyn, it felt different. She already loved her more and more with every beating of her heart and even though she never felt any maternal connection before, but with Gosalyn, she found herself daydreaming how it would have been like if she were able to have kids. 

“Do you know what dad is planning for dinner tonight? I saw him buying brussel sprouts earlier this week. I hope he doesn’t do anything silly with them!” Gosalyn crossed her arms. 

“Ah, but last time with the almonds and the oil, they tasted quite nice, don’t you think?” Lily smiled. 

“No! Absolutely not! They are torture, a weapon of mass destruction to good taste! YUCK!” Gosalyn stuck out her tongue and made a face. 

“Alright, alright. If your dad makes the brussel sprouts tonight and you manage to eat at least half, I’m gonna get you a hot dog from this chili dog place next time, okay?” 

“That sounds a lot like bribery to me. I want a hot dog _and_ the chili cheese fries! Oh, and one of those jumbo milk shakes, you know, the ones that are bigger than my head!” Gosalyn grinned. 

Lily turned around when she halted at the red light. “We each get a hot dog and a small serving of fries, but we share the milkshake. Last offer.” 

“Deal!” Gosalyn high-fived her and mumbled “score” under her breath. 

+++

When they entered the kitchen and Lily saw his sour face, she already knew that Drake had some more complaints. He sat at the table in his pink apron, hot coffee steaming from a mug with the phrase “world’s best dad” in front of him. 

He greeted Gosalyn with a kiss on the forehead and the second his daughter disappeared into the hallway, so did his smile. 

Lily frowned. “Oh, what is it now?”

Drake stood up. “You know what! When you moved into _my_ bedroom two weeks ago, I gave you a designated drawer and made room for you in my closet. And where are your clothes? Hm?” 

“If you want me to answer that, you should try a friendlier tone, mister!” Lily broadened her shoulders. “I’m neither Gosalyn nor Launchpad, and I will not have you diminish me like that!” 

“This is _my_ house and what _I’m_ saying-” Drake started. 

“Oh, okay, _dad_! It’s just a bunch of f-” Lily broke off, trying to make true on her promise to curse less, “uh… of flipping clothes! I was in a hurry to pick up Gosalyn!” 

“That stuff has been lying around for _days_!” Drake scoffed.

“Well, if it bothers you so much, pick it up, then.” Lily shrugged. 

“ _What_?! I’m not your housekeeper!” Drake approached her now, pointing a finger at her. 

Lily slapped his hand down. “Don’t give me that finger, Drake!”

“I give you as many fingers as _I_ want!” Drake yelled. 

“What?!” Lily started laughing. 

“I, uh- I meant, uh…” Drake blushed and turned around. “Just clean up your stuff!” 

He stormed off and Lily decided to let him have the last word - this time. 

+++

Every experiment needs testing, that much he knew by now. Going in blind was not an option, not with what he was planning. Negaduck flipped his metal tin between his thumb and index finger and focused on the picture before him. On the screen, Lily and Darkwing were locked in an embrace, shot from the footage of a security camera. They had just caught Splatter Phoenix, the “crazy painter chick,” as Negaduck referred to her, and gazed at each other longingly. 

“Fucking idiots,” Negaduck scoffed and took another deep puff from his cigarette. _So Darkwing is now fucking my leftovers, huh?_ he asked himself. _We’ll see how it goes when her loyalty is tested._ Negaduck knew he had to prove what she was, deep down, and who she belonged to. For as long as Lily was part of their team, she and Bushroot had a special connection, always standing in a corner, snickering and giggling. He would be perfect for the experiment. But he was too docile, too kind. He needed someone who would put up a fight, no matter what. Someone who was a challenge for his purple counterpart. 

Negaduck had heard from Quackerjack that Lily had tricked him. While this was not news to him, he needed the other four to really see it for themselves. Apparently, she would only jump in if Darkwing was in danger. Presumably, they had the same arrangement that he had with her. 

“Now who else should go up against them?” Negaduck pressed his cigarette into the cold aluminum dish next to him. Megavolt sure was powerful but he fried his brain one too many times, and Quackerjack had already experienced her betrayal first-hand, so it had to be the Liquidator. He and Bushroot actually made quite a good team so it was only fitting to have them work together. 

He grabbed his phone and searched for the number. “H- Hello?” Negaduck heard a nervous Bushroot on the other end after the first ring. 

Negaduck grinned. “Get out of your pot. I got a job for you.” 

+++

Lily showed them the video footage on her computer in Audubon Bay Bridge. “Looks like there are huge tendrils growing out of the canals in the city center.” 

“Bushroot!” Darkwing exclaimed. “C’mon, Launchpad, start the Thunderquack!” 

Lily took Darkwing’s hand before he rushed off. “Stay safe.” 

Her hero grinned and winked at her before running after his sidekick. 

Lily monitored their operation as always, hacking into public security cameras and scouring social media websites for footage, and giving them pointers. “Darkwing, watch out! I’ve seen Bushroot do many things, but growing so many objects this big is new! He would need something, some kind of fertilizer, or…” 

“...or a lot of water?” Darkwing asked into the ear bud. “I got visuals on the Liquidator.”

“Be careful you two! These two are a very powerful combination, even more than they even realize.” Lily frowned. 

“Pfff, please. They’re no match for the terror that flaps in the night!” 

Lily turned off the channel for Darkwing and addressed Launchpad. “Make sure he’s alright, please. And that he doesn’t do anything _too_ stupid.” 

Launchpad answered with a vague “mm-hmm” that Darkwing didn’t recognize because he was too busy looking for a good spot for his dramatic entrance. 

“Launchpad! See that roof over there?” Darkwing tapped his finger against the glass excitedly. 

His partner nodded and landed the Thunderquack as softly as he could, only knocking over several trash cans and breaking a bit of the concrete roof. 

“Nice going, L.P.” Darkwing patted his back before jumping out of the jet. “Now, where are those two?” 

Darkwing’s jet had passed directly over his head but luckily, Negaduck knew it would be smarter to leave his stunning red and yellow outfit at home and opt for something less bright, like a black hoodie. He also counted on his doppelganger’s ignorance to simply overlook him. 

“C’mon, babe, don’t keep me waiting,” he whispered, putting down the binoculars. 

“There he is! Negaduck told me to distract him with all means necessary,” Bushroot yelled when the masked mallard was finished with his over-dramatic entrance.

“Why distract him, when we could just get rid of him?” The Liquidator grinned. “How many more of these super growing seeds do you have?” 

“More than enough for one tiny mallard,” Bushroot answered. 

From his place on the roof, Negaduck saw the fight between the two opposing forces breaking out. He checked the roofs and streets for a familiar blonde mane, or light brown, since she had dyed her hair in a mediocre attempt to disguise herself. 

“Goddammit!” Lily heard Darkwing yell, “there are tendrils _everywhere!_ They are trying to kill us!” 

“I’m coming!” Lily exclaimed and rushed to the Ratcatcher.

“NO!” Darkwing ordered, “you will stay there!” 

“But-” Lily started. 

“Lily, no! Stay where you are!” 

Lily didn’t hear his last demand. The signal always broke off in the storage room. She threw the huge canister of weed killer into the passenger seat of the Ratcatcher and started the engine.

Negaduck noticed a purple bike approaching fast. “Ah, there she is! Took your sweet ass time, missy.”

Lily arrived at the scene and gasped. Darkwing and Launchpad were dangling off the ground, their limbs held firmly by tendrils. She could hear Darkwing argue while another tendril closed in on his neck. Launchpad was terrified and tried to bite his way out. 

“Hey!” she screamed and threw the whole canister into the water that ran from the Liquidator into the sewer entrance, resulting in him screaming in agony. The two mallards sunk to the ground, untangling themselves and trying to catch their breaths.

Bushroot looked at his plant withering and turned around. “ _Lily?!_ What are you doing?!” 

“I, uh-” she stammered. “I can’t let you do this!” 

“He’s our _enemy!_ You know that!” the Liquidator growled. 

“I know, but-” Lily took a few steps back. “He’s… he’s not my…” 

“Oh, so Quackerjack was right, eh? You did switch sides!” The Liquidator made water approach her slowly. 

“Bud! Please!” Lily took a few steps back until she bumped into a wall. 

“Hey, waterhead!” Darkwing yelled and threw a package of detergent into the water. The Liquidators color changed from clear to green. Bushroot stepped back and ran into Launchpad, who apologized for the hard hit he was about to give him with his fist and then quickly used one of his own tendrils to handcuff him. 

The Liquidator meanwhile disappeared into the next manhole. Darkwing tried to rush after him but Lily seized his arm. “Wait, it’s no use!” 

“Get off me!” Darkwing forcefully pulled his elbow out of her grip. “Dang it, he’s gone! You let him escape!” 

“Yeah, because you will never be able to catch him down there! Only diseases and whatnot!” Lily replied. 

“Guys…” Launchpad tried to interfere but Darkwing pushed him aside. 

“You take Bushroot to the nearest police station before he wakes up!” the purple masked mallard commanded. 

“Alright. You guys have things under control?” Launchpad asked with a suspiciously long look over to Lily. 

“I said GO!” Darkwing pushed his sidekick aside and waited for him to be out of sight before he turned around. 

“So, are you gonna give me another lecture now?” Lily frowned. 

“Urgh! You and your big beak! I told you to stay put!” Darkwing shouted. 

“Yeah, and if I had, you would be one cold ducky now!” Lily replied, trying to stay calm. 

“I had everything under control!” the hero replied. 

“Oh, I saw that, if you like bondage, that is,” Lily scoffed. 

“Stop with your profanities! You know that I make the plans and if I tell you to do something, you do it!” 

“This is just like this morning! You don’t get to patronize me! I’m not Launchpad or Gosalyn!” 

Negaduck watched their fight from the roof and smiled. “This morning, huh? Interesting. Very interesting,” he mumbled to himself. 

He listened to their back and forth a bit longer, the increasing noise like music in his ears. 

“Did it hurt your ego so much to be rescued by me? You’d rather get _killed_ than that? I’m so tired of trying to prove myself to you!” Lily poked Darkwing’s chest. 

“Oh, I’m _so sorry_ that I hurt your feelings, but what ensures me that you don’t turn on me like you did with them, huh?!” The look in Darkwing’s eyes shifted. An outsider might recognize it as regret. 

“ _Don’t you dare!_ Don’t you dare say that to me after all we’ve been through!” Lily pushed him in her rage. “I’m so sick and tired of you walking over me like this!” 

“Uh- I- Whatever! I’m tired, let’s head home,” Darkwing rubbed his temple. 

“No,” Lily hissed. “You’re not having the last word in this, not this time. You self-absorbed asshole!” 

“Fine! Have it your way!” Darkwing mounted his bike and drove off. 

Lily pulled out her phone and texted Diego:

_Hey brother, can I crash at your place?_


	16. Chapter 16

She turned the key as silently as possible when she arrived at their home in Avian Way the next morning. Lily had slept on a very uncomfortable sofa in Diego’s tiny apartment and left before he woke up, leaving him a thank you note and a fresh bagel on the kitchen counter. 

It was 9 a.m. By this time, Drake would be fast asleep and she could just sneak into bed and make up for their fight last night. Maybe it wasn’t the best to really resolve the issue, but it always worked in the past. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, right? 

Her plans were ruined when a very tired and testy looking Drake sat in the kitchen. 

“Where were you?” he asked, giving her a cold glare. The bags under his eyes suggested he might not have slept at all. 

“I stayed at Diego’s place,” Lily answered, sitting down on the opposite end of the table. 

“Is that so?” He tapped his fingers on the hardwood.

Lily rolled her eyes but tried to remain calm. “Yes, Drake, it is. And I don’t like what you’re suggesting here.” 

The tapping stopped. “What am I suggesting, then?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” Lily hissed. 

“Well, who’s to say that you didn’t run off after your buddy, the water dog?” Drake raised his eyebrows. 

“God, do you listen to yourself? That is the  _ stupidest _ thing you’ve said in a long time! Why would I do that? Huh?!” Lily banged her hand on the table. 

“Why are you so defensive all of a sudden?” he shrugged. 

“Why are you such a dick _ all of a sudden?! _ ” Lily growled. “I’m so tired of proving myself! What else do you want from me? Is this another case for you, or one of your Film Noir plots where you fuck the pretty girl who turns out to be the killer? This is real life, Drake!” 

Before he could answer, Launchpad peeked his head through the swinging door. “What’s going on in here?”

Drake got up. “Nothing! Everything is just  _ swell!”  _

Drake walked out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, trying to sleep a few more hours before his daughter came home. In bed, his mind was running a thousand miles per hour. He had been worried all night that something might have happened to her. He was checking his phone every other minute. Of course, he could have just texted her, and he wanted to, but that would be like admitting he had done something wrong. When Lily walked through the door, Drake had been both parts relieved and angered. 

This was all her fault, after all! She should have stayed put like he ordered her to! If anyone on his team would just do whatever they wanted, chaos would ensue! _ I’ll make up for it later, maybe with my famous pasta arrabiata,  _ Drake smiled when he fell asleep. 

Lily regretted her words the moment Drake stormed out of the kitchen and decided to do something nice for him.  _ A bowl of my ‘mix everything and top it with barbeque sauce’ will make him forget we ever had a fight! _ Lily chuckled.

“Are you alright?” Launchpad put his hand on her shoulder when he re-entered the kitchen. 

Lily sighed. “I’m…okay.” 

“You know how he is. It hurts his pride when you go on a solo tour,” Launchpad frowned.

“So what? We can’t just cater to his every demand to keep him in a good mood!” Lily felt her anger rising again. 

“I know, you’re right. It’s just easier this way.”

+++

Lily stood in the kitchen, humming to herself when she put a bit more curry powder on the indistinguishable mush on the stove. A notification on her phone put her out of her thoughts. 

_ We’ll be a bit late, sorry,  _ Drake texted her, and she sent him a simple thumbs up emoji back. The two mallards had decided to pick up Gosalyn together and Lily was more than happy to have the house to herself, not to clean, of course, but to put on her music over the stereo and just enjoy a quiet moment with some snacks that she and Launchpad had hidden from Drake in a cupboard above the stove. Her mood increased even more when she checked new releases for movies and games, thinking about asking either Drake or Launchpad to go to the movies with her. 

An hour later, while Lily was checking the so-called stew she left to simmer, the garage door opened. Gosalyn ran straight into her arms for a hug and Launchpad greeted her with his biggest smile. 

“Where's your dad?” Lily asked, petting the tiny duckling’s hair. 

“Oh, he should be here any minute now.” Gosalyn checked the pot on the stove and made a silly face. 

The trap door mechanism in the living room whirled and Darkwing Duck emerged. 

Lily tilted her head. “Drake, are you okay? Did something happen?” 

“Huh? Oh, sure. Just, you know… stuff,” Darkwing took off his hat and cape. 

“What ‘stuff’? A crime?” 

“We went to S.H.U.S.H. on our way home from school,” Gosalyn grinned. 

“Come on, Gos. Let’s go watch some Pelican Island.” Launchpad picked up the girl and left the kitchen. 

“What? Why?” Lily frowned. 

“Uh, you know. They wanted to show us some stuff,” Drake neatly folded his mask in his hands and seemed to be fixated on this simple task. 

“What ‘stuff,’ Drake? What happened to your eloquence?” Lily rolled her eyes.

“You know, tech stuff,” Drake shrugged. 

“Tech stuff? Like for the computer system?” Lily leaned over the table, trying to catch his eye. 

Drake nodded coyly. 

“So you’re saying that you went to S.H.U.S.H. for hardware upgrades and you didn’t bring me? Your ‘guy in a chair,’ so to say?” 

Another nod. 

“Why?” Lily growled. 

“I- uh… I,” Drake stammered and then took a deep breath. “I couldn’t take you with me! That’s official business, you know? It’s not like anyone could just walk in there!”

Lily scoffed. “Oh, but Gosalyn and Launchpad were fine?” She had an idea where this would be going and she didn’t like it. After all this time, he still made it so hard for her. Sometimes she wished she could just go back to someone who accepted her for who she was.  _ Go back? _ She shook off the thought.

“Uh…” Drake tried to think of another excuse. “Okay, fine! I didn’t think it would be wise to take you with me!” 

“Why not?”

Her tone was too calm for his comfort. Drake feared the depths beneath it. And yet, he decided not to get intimidated by her. This was his house, after all. “Because of your past connections! You know, with F.O.W.L., and the Fearsome Five, and lord knows who else!” 

Drake finally looked her in the eyes and saw not anger, but a deep sadness and disappointment.

Lily sighed. “I see how it is, Drake. I will never be good enough for you, right?” 

Before he could answer, the alarm in the house and on their phones interrupted them. Launchpad and Gosalyn stormed into the kitchen and they all checked their phones in unison, each with the same horrified look. 

“What’s going on? What’s with the long faces?” Gosalyn asked and tried to read her father’s screen.

“Negaduck,” Lily answered her. “He’s back.” 

+++

Lily now sat on her chair in the hideout. Gosalyn was next to her, and surprisingly silent. During a chase in which Negaduck had lured them into an abandoned warehouse, she had lost visual contact. Now all Lily could do was listen to the action through her headphones. 

Darkwing’s right foot hurt from the kick that was meant for Negaduck, yet hit the concrete wall next to him. Launchpad’s right arm seemed to be disengaged but other than that, they were fine. Their opponent did emerge from their fight without a scratch, rabid like a wild animal, going so far as to bite into Darkwing’s fist if he didn’t retract it in time. 

Negaduck turned around after they cornered him. “So tell me...how’s the pussy? Enjoying my leftovers? Do you two take turns or go all in at the same time? Lord knows she would love that.” 

“You can’t anger us with your profanities, Negaduck,” Darkwing Duck answered, trying to sound cooler than he was. 

Lily listened closely while absentmindedly plucking feathers from her elbow. “Don’t talk to him! Get him!” she commanded into the headset. 

“But I gotta admit, I never thought you would actually take her in. But then again, not in a million years would I have guessed _ I  _ would! Must be something about that pretty face, or maybe it’s the tits.” Negaduck overactingly scratched his beak. “Still, you taking in a murderer? That’s something, Dipwing.” 

“We know that it was  _ you _ who killed the policemen, Negaduck! That’s one of the many reasons you’re going to jail for the rest of your life!” Darkwing shouted, trying to find an opening in his counterpart's stance. 

“Oh, I did. But did your sweet, sweet flower never tell you how we met?” Negaduck grinned. 

“Don’t listen to him! He’s full of shit! Get him!” Lily yelled. 

Launchpad scrunched his face. “Why should we listen to your lies?” 

“Ah, here’s a counter argument: why should I lie, big guy?” Negaduck winked at him. 

“Uh, I… uh… because you’re the bad guy!” Launchpad stammered. 

Darkwing frowned. “L.P., stop. Just stop.” 

“Get him, Darkwing! Get him! Don’t just stand there!” Lily slammed her fists on the table.

“Remember Harry Hoggart?” Negaduck raised his eyebrows. 

“Do something, Darkwing, please! Don’t listen to him!” Lily screamed at the top of her lungs. 

Darkwing inhaled deeply and with a touch of his earbud, he muted Lily. “The billionaire that got shot?”

“That’s the one. Well, let’s just say, isn’t it a romantic idea for a first date when you rescue a cute little damsel in distress from this guy’s vault? I technically didn’t, but my idiot teammates did. She came tumbling out all weak and shy only to grab for my gun, that sneaky little cunt.” Negaduck nonchalantly flipped a grain of dirt off his cape. 

Launchpad’s flinching was the result of two things, first what he had heard about his friend, accompanied by said friend screaming into his ear. 

Darkwing gasped. “Are you suggesting that…” 

Negaduck’s crooked teeth blinked at the edge of his beak. “She shot him in the belly, the full magazine. It was really hot. So when she offered me sex for shelter, I took her in.” 

From an outside perspective, Darkwing stood perfectly still. What they couldn’t see was the cold shiver that ran down his spine, along with his memories of Lily a few months ago. She had attacked him multiple times and was found tagging along with not only his crazed doppelganger, but also the other members of the Fearsome Five.  _ She’s a criminal,  _ he thought _. She’s a murderous villain and I have let her near my child, my home, my… _

Negaduck burst into laughter. “Sorry to break it to you two, but your faces are hilarious! Wish I had brought my phone! But instead, I got this baby!” 

From seemingly out of nowhere, Negaduck pulled out his gas gun and aimed at the empty space between them. The two heroes breathed in a sour smelling gas and lost consciousness seconds later. The last thing Darkwing saw was Negaduck approaching him with a grin. 

Negaduck picked the earbud from Launchpad’s head and whispered. “Can you hear me?” 

“Y-yes…” a sobbing voice answered at the other end. 

“You got one hour.” 


	17. Chapter 17

By the time Lily arrived at the warehouse, the sun was already setting. She held out her revolver and snuck into the dark hall. Her eyes burned when spotlights were turned on all around her. Once she had adjusted to the brightness, Lily saw Negaduck next to a crane where Darkwing Duck and Launchpad were tied up. They both seemed unconscious but unharmed from what she could see. 

“There you are,” Negaduck dropped a curtsy and used this motion to pick up a water bucket. He splashed the cold liquid at his hostages who awoke, yelping and panting. 

“Let them go!” Lily demanded, aiming now straight at Negaduck. 

“What a cliche. Has that sentence ever convinced  _ anyone?” _ Negaduck chuckled but seconds later, his eyes widened when a bullet rushed past him, burning a hole into his hat. 

“How’s this for convincing?” Lily shouted. 

Negaduck checked the hat, putting his finger through the hole and started laughing maniacally. “There she is! My fierce little duck! Oh, how much I’ve missed you!” 

“Shut up and release them, or the next bullet will be between your eyes!” Lily readjusted her aim. 

“No, I don’t think so,” Negaduck shrugged. 

“Lily, don’t-” Darkwing called to her, resulting in a smack in the beak. 

“Shaddap, lover boy! This is between me and her!” Negaduck growled. “The time for games is over, Lily. You’ve had your playtime and now, you’ll return to me.” 

Lily let out a bitter laugh. “ _ What?! _ Are you completely mad?!” 

“No! You know that we belong together, you and me.” Negaduck pushed a button on a remote and the two drakes were lifted and now dangled over a hissing green fluid. 

“What are you doing?!” Lily ran towards the platform but Negaduck wiggled his finger. 

“Ah, I wouldn’t make hasty movements if I were you. I could get startled and you know, push this little button over here. ‘What does the button do?’ you might ask? Why, it lowers the crane, you dipshit!”

“God, you dirty bastard! Why are you doing this?!” Lily tried to suppress her panic. 

“It’s in my job description! The bigger question is, why are  _ you _ doing this? Tagging along with your little purple hero like a lap dog? We both know you’re not obedient enough for that.” Negaduck grinned. “Although, with a little bit of training…” 

Darkwing’s thoughts rushed through his mind, unable to form. He wanted to say something, anything, but he could only hang there in his tight ropes, watching the scene unfold. This was the most humiliated he had felt in a long time. He looked at Lily, her eyes fixed on Negaduck, their enemy. Her enemy?  _ Don’t leave me! _ his mind wanted to scream when another thought cut through that she probably already betrayed him. 

“Negaduck, please!” Lily slowly walked towards the platform. 

“Oh, how I missed the sound of your plea.” Negaduck smiled devilishly. “Come here and I’m gonna make you beg all night.” 

“No, I don’t want this,” Lily replied, a bit less confident than she had hoped. 

Negaduck stepped down the platform, the remote in his hand. “Are you sure? Aren’t you tired, Lily? Tired of playing the good girl when we both know what you really are?” 

“No,” Lily whispered. 

“I can see it in your eyes, Barbie. You’re exhausted.” Negaduck was now dangerously close, yet his stance was relaxed. “Look at me, Lily. You know we had our quarrels, but we’ll grow from this, learn from this. I know who you are. I know every inch of your soul. You and me, we’re the same. We don’t belong with them. They don’t want us in their perfect little world.” 

“No…” Tears streamed down her face. 

“LILY!” Launchpad yelled but she couldn’t hear him. Her brain went back to her time with Darkwing. It had been fun, yes, but also exhausting. She had never been part of a family like this, where she had to be on her best behavior every minute, and was scolded whenever she stepped out of line. The regular hours, the annoying suburbs, the nosy neighbors - all this now seemed like a silly dream to her, a nightmare. Yes, she loved Gosalyn and her feelings for Drake and Launchpad were strong, but Negaduck was right. She had pretended to fit in but deep down, she knew that they would never accept her. 

“DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, LILY!” Another scream from Launchpad pulled her out of her thoughts. “YOU KNOW IT’S NOT TRUE!” 

Negaduck lifted her beak and turned it to the side, forcing her to look at his hostages. Launchpads eyes were widened, glassy, and on the brink of tears, but Darkwing just stared at her. His look was hard to read but all she could interpret was: resentment, disappointment, indifference. 

“Look at them. See how your hero doesn’t even fight for you. If anything, he thinks I’m doing him a favor by taking you back.” Negaduck clicked his tongue. 

Darkwing tried to say something but his thoughts were now bursting through his head at high speed. He was unable to even verbalize a single word. She stood there, the woman he liked, with his enemy. Her lover. He closed his eyes and gave up. 

“What do I have to do for you to let them go?” Lily whispered. 

Negaduck turned her face again and fixated on her eyes. “You know what I desire.”

Lily closed her eyes and whimpered. This was not what she wanted, yet it was what she deserved. All this time, and it led back to him. What a cruel joke.

He pulled her closer. She let it happen, her arms dangling useless down her shoulders. The taste of his beak was so familiar, yet so strange. His snickering was full of confidence, full of victory. He took her into his arms. 

“Let them go, please,” Lily pleaded. 

With two clicks on his remote, the two mallards were transported over to safe ground and released. Negaduck took out his grappling hook and aimed for the ceiling. Lily held onto him and turned around just in time to see Darkwing shooting a canister of gas their way. She quickly lifted her arm and shot the can, giving her and Negaduck the opportunity to flee the warehouse unseen. 

After he was done coughing, Darkwing fell to the floor. Droplets suddenly fell down his face when the anger flushed over him. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a joke. She would never…would she? How much did he truly know her, the woman he let into his house, his bed? 

_ Whore! _ he screamed inside her head. An insult that until this day he had never even thought of.  _ Fine, leave! Run away! I don’t need you! _

  
  



	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please not the tags and warnings for this chapter.

He led her into a rundown building in one of the worst ghettos in St. Canard. On the top floor, Negaduck occupied a studio apartment. The wooden floor creaked with every step and the tiny room had barely enough space for a bed, a half destroyed sofa, and a tiny kitchenette to the left of the door. On the right, a cube with an all-in-one shower and toilet was found behind a half-closed door. 

“That’s quite a step down from the mansion,” Lily noted, checking the mold-covered wood panels on the wall. 

Negaduck shrugged. “Yeah, you know how it is. You take what you can get.” 

_ Or maybe, you don’t want to bring me to one of your actual hideouts,  _ Lily thought. She wanted to sit down on the sofa but there was no cushion without springs pointing out of them. The numbness of her mind finally wore off and her heart started racing. She watched Negaduck take off his cape and hat. He stood there, nonchalantly humming, clearly satisfied with himself. 

Darkwing’s eyes flashed into her mind, the glare he’d given her.  _ You’ve done it. You’ve ruined the only good thing in your life, _ Lily sighed. She wanted to crawl into a deep hole and never come out again, just lie down and wait for the end. But then, Negaduck turned around and she was forced to come back to reality. Her survival instincts kicked in and didn’t allow her to delve deeper into self-loathing. 

“Don’t just stand there. Come over here.” Negaduck waved at her. 

“Huh?” Lily blinked. 

Negaduck approached her and took her head into his hands. His gaze could almost be interpreted as lovingly.  _ They really look similar, _ Lily thought, being transported back to mere days ago when Drake would look at her like that. 

“Babe, c’mon. Stop the moping.” Negaduck leaned down and pulled her head into a kiss. She let it happen. 

“I missed you so much...the  _ real _ you,” he whispered when their beaks parted. 

“What do you mean?” Lily tilted her head. 

“Nothing,” he smiled and started pulling up her shirt. 

“Negs, wait-” Lily protested. 

“No, I’ve waited long enough.” He continued undressing her.

Lily frowned. “Okay, let’s do it.”  _ Fine, take your prize. I don’t care anymore.  _

Minutes later, he had placed her on the bed. He marked her in what he called “love bites,” but they were actually hurtful bites. Lily stared at the ceiling. She tried taking things slow and getting on top of him but he forced her down again every time. Her wrists and hips already hurt from his strong grip.

“Ugh! I’m so sick and tired of this look!” Negaduck complained. He turned her around and started forcefully rubbing her private parts. Once his fingers were covered in thick fluids, he pushed himself into her, immediately thrusting in a vicious pace. 

She would have welcomed a bit of lube at this point. With every thrust, it hurt more. She was glad Negaduck had her on her knees and pounding away her dignity from behind, so she wouldn’t have to look into his eyes. Her grip on the bed frame tightened as she tried to hold back the tears. _ This is all I will ever be, _ Lily thought,  _ I squandered my only shot at having a normal family and I’m finally back to where I belong, just a hole to be filled by the next best asshole. _

“See, babe? I knew you’d like it!” he grunted. She had started moaning and sighing, faking her pleasure in hopes she would either really start enjoying it or the sounds would prone him to finally finish. 

When he did, he rolled aside panting. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the floor and grinned complacently.

Lily was so disgusted with herself, that she wanted to just peel off her feather coat and skin. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.” 

“Yeah, I know. You do whatever.” Negaduck waved at her dismissively. “You and your cleaning obsession.” He whispered under his breath, “The other one wasn’t like that.” 

Lily decided to ignore this comment and slip into the tiny bathroom - if you could even call it that. 

The lukewarm water washed away the sweat, but the guilt stayed.  _ Look at you, you stupid bitch! You deserve this!  _ she scolded herself.  _ Cry all you want! This is all your fault! _ Her thoughts spiraled downward even more. She thought of Drake, of his smile when they woke up midmorning. He would always need a bit more convincing to actually get out of bed. “Five more minutes,” he would say, gently holding her in his arms. 

“I’m sorry...” she whispered. She rested her head on the cold tiles of the shower, ignoring the thick layer of green residue. Her tears mixed with the water and for a second, Lily thought she could just wait until the water fully washed her away. 

“I could never be mad at you when you smile at me like this,” Drake’s voice echoed in her mind. She wasn’t so sure about that now. All the memories she had spent with him flashed into her mind while her legs refused to keep her standing any longer. She sunk into the dirty shower, holding her own beak shut so Negaduck wouldn’t hear her scream. 

“Forgive me...please forgive me!” she mumbled, when her throat tightened under her breakdown. Lily banged her fists against the walls and cried until her eyes ran dry. 

+++ 

When she stepped out of the tiny bathroom, Negaduck seemed to be fast asleep on the bed. She looked at him, this scrawny yet devilishly strong mallard with his many scars, clearly visible under his feather coat. 

_ What am I doing here? _ she asked herself as she picked up her clothes and tried to get dressed as silently as possible. She snuck up to the front door only to find it locked. Lily couldn’t remember Negaduck locking the door. She turned around, looking for the key, only to find it dangling from Negaduck’s finger. 

“Looking for this?” he asked with a smug grin. 

“When did you lock the door?” Lily tilted her head. 

“When you were in the bathroom crying your eyes out.” He winked. Negaduck put on his red turtleneck and placed the key on the counter of the kitchenette. His eyes followed Lily’s glance at the keys. 

“So, where did you wanna go?” Negaduck filled a kettle with water and started heating it. 

“I- uh...just wanted to get some breakfast.” Lily shrugged. 

“Is that so?” The scent of coffee filled the room when Negaduck measured two spoons of the ground beans and put them inside the coffee maker. His motions were fluid, his voice calm. 

“Yeah, I wanted to get you something good,” Lily chuckled nervously. 

The water was heated and he poured it into the coffee maker with his right hand and without looking his left hand opened the fridge next to him. It was filled with microwavable meals and baked goods. “Why didn’t you check here first? You know I always have enough to eat.” 

“Oh, I- um...I didn’t…” Lily stammered. 

Negaduck put the water can back down and his demeanor shifted. He approached her with swift steps and banged his hands on the door next to each side of Lily’s head, forcing her to push back into the hardwood. 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you wanted to run away from me. But that would be a silly thought, now wouldn’t it? I mean, where would you even go? Who would take a  _ rotten cunt _ like you in, huh?!” he shouted. 

“No, that’s not what I-” Lily started. 

“No, of course not. You’re not going anywhere.” Negaduck took down his hands and his posture relaxed. Lily allowed herself to breath again. 

“Now, my little flower,” Negaduck crooned, fiddling with one of her locks of hair, “tell me...who is Darkwing Duck?” 

_ “Huh?!” _ This question took Lily by surprise. “What do you mean by that?”

“You know what I mean. The mallard behind the mask. Who is he and where can I find him?” His look wandered from his hand to her face, a villainous smile showing through half-closed eyes. 

“I-I don’t know,” Lily answered a bit too fast. 

Negaduck stepped away and sighed. “Oh, Lily, my sweet, sweet Lily. Don’t lie to me.”

Before she could react, he hit her face.

Lily had to hold on to the door knob to avoid falling down. The right side of her face felt like it was on fire. “What do you mean?! I don’t know who he is!”

He pulled her back up by the hair and smashed her head into the door. “Lies! You  _ fucked _ him! I know it!” 

“So?! We just had a quickie or two!” Lily panted. 

“LIES!” Negaduck pulled her aside into the kitchenette. She landed on the edge of the wood panel. “He said ‘let’s go home’ to you! So you know where he lives! Now _ tell me!”  _

Lily coughed, feeling her arm swell under the impact. “How do you know that?” 

Negaduck grinned. “Did you think you could get rid of me? I’m always close to you.” 

Lily knew she would regret her next words, but decided she wouldn’t go down without a fight. She pulled herself back up and slowly let her hand wander across the kitchen counter. “If you’re always close, how come you haven’t found him yet?” she mocked, and then poured the can of hot coffee over his chest. 

Negaduck screamed in agony but in the next moment, he jumped at her, hitting her in the face with his fist this time. 

_ “You worthless little bitch!”  _ he screamed as she fell down. Another punch came, this time with his left hand. “Why do you still protect him?! HUH?!” Another hit. 

She couldn’t answer anymore. Blood ran out of her nostrils and she coughed.  _ Yes, kill me now. Please just do it. _ Her smile was content and she chuckled at Negaduck’s angry face right before the world faded to black. 

  
  



	19. Chapter 19

Launchpad walked past Drake’s bedroom, assuming he was still resting. Gosalyn had been asking about Lily all night, grinding on her father’s last nerve, so Launchpad had taken her up to his room and cuddled with her until they both fell asleep. They didn’t tell her the whole truth, only that Lily would not come back. That was enough to shatter the little girl’s heart. 

“Why not? What happened to her? Where is she?” Gosalyn asked over and over again. “I don’t understand! She was supposed to drive me to hockey training tomorrow! And after that we would get hot dogs! _She promised!”_

Launchpad could see Drake’s calmness fleeing and as much as he wanted to comfort his friend, Gosalyn was his priority. Before the two of them dozed off, Launchpad heard her whimper softly and it broke his heart. 

“D.W.?!” Launchpad asked when he walked into the living room. The purple masked mallard sat down on the couch, his gas gun on his lap, his eyes wide open and fixated on the front door. 

“How’s Gos?” the hero asked without breaking his stare. 

“Uh, good? I let her sleep in like you said. Missing one day of school won’t hurt. How are you? Did you sleep? I mean, no offense but you look like shit.” Launchpad sat down next to him. 

Darkwing shot his partner the faintest side glare. “I’m perfectly fine, Launchpad.”

“What are you doing?” 

“I’m waiting. Any minute now, those two villains will burst in here and attack! Oh, but I’m ready, Launchpad! Let them come!” Darkwing grinned. 

“Yeah…no. I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” Launchpad suppressed a chuckle. 

“What do you mean? I bet at this very moment, she’s telling him all about us and how they will attack. They’re probably waiting for me to sleep! Ha! Joke’s on you! Darkwing Duck doesn’t need sleep!” Darkwing jumped up, trying to hide his dizziness. 

“Uh, sure.” Launchpad held Darkwing up by the shoulder and sat him back down. “Do you really believe that, though?”

“Of course! It’s gonna happen any minute now!” Darkwing lifted his finger into the air. 

“Darkwing, no offense, but isn’t that the reason this whole mess started?” the tall mallard asked shyly. 

“What? What are you on about?!” Darkwing finally looked into his eyes.

“Well, you know… with the whole trust thing and you two fighting…” Launchpad rubbed his chin. 

“Pah! Nonsense!” Darkwing exclaimed, but his confidence was fleeting. He sunk deeper into the cushion, his stare now redirected to his dangling feet. 

“I mean, I... and she…” Darkwing sobbed. 

“It’s okay, just let it out,” Launchpad comforted him.

 _“Why?!_ Why did she go?” Drake sunk into the cushions.

Launchpad put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “She tried to save us…” 

“Did she?! Or was she just happy to run back to _him?!”_ Darkwing’s voice cracked. He tossed his gas gun onto the coffee table and hid his face behind his hands. 

Under his hand, Launchpad felt the other drake shaking. He debated whether or not it would be appropriate, but then pulled Darkwing into a hug, who welcomed the embrace. 

“Did I- ...did I ruin it? Be honest with me,” Darkwing asked quietly. 

“No, of course not. There’s always two sides of a story, and we don’t know how she felt fighting against Negaduck. Remember how afraid she was.” Launchpad pat his back. 

Darkwing sighed. “Well, I hope the-” 

He couldn’t finish his sentence because his phone rang. The two mallards parted and stared at the screen. It was Lily’s number.

“Well, I will _not_ answer that!” Darkwing threw his phone aside. 

“I will,” Launchpad reached over and before Darkwing could complain, he clicked on the icon. His eyes widened in shock when a voice he did not expect talked to him on the other end. 

“Hey there, Dipwing,” Negaduck chuckled. 

“Negaduck? What do you want?!” Launchpad demanded. 

“Oh, look who it is! Did your boss tell you to answer it because his sweet feelings are hurt?” Negaduck laughed. 

Darkwing snatched the phone and yelled, “WHAT DO YOU WANT, NEGADUCK?!” 

“There he is! So nice talking to you!” Darkwing could hear the smug grin in his voice. 

“Quit stalling or I’ll hang up!” 

“Ah, yes you could do that, but what about our little plaything? What would happen to her?” Negaduck asked. 

“What do y- uh… I don’t care! You two deserve each other!” Darkwing grinded his teeth. 

“See, here’s the thing. I thought so too, but it turns out I got tired of her after just one mediocre fuck. So I thought, I would just throw her into the garbage disposal. Just calling out of courtesy to ask if it’s fine by you.” Negaduck’s complacent voice drove him mad. 

“Garbage disp- fine! I don’t care! Have fun!” Darkwing answered but the phone was taken out of his hands. 

“Where is she? What are you doing?!” Launchpad demanded in a commanding voice. Darkwing had never heard this tone from his partner. 

Launchpad nodded and then hung up. “He’s taking her to the old sewage plant. I’m going there.”

“Launchpad, wait!” Darkwing got up, his tiredness washed away by adrenaline. “You stay here and make sure Gosalyn is okay. I’m going.” 

+++

The throbbing of her skull was audible in her earlobe and the pain that shot through her arms was unbearable. Lily’s eyes barely opened, swollen from the punches she received. _Am I dead? Probably not, it would hurt less,_ she thought and tried to adjust her body into a comfortable position when she noticed that her feet were touching a metal pole while her arms were tied above her head - that explained the numbness and yet aching. The metal pole turned out to be a railing and underneath her the scent of boiling sewage liquid increased her dizziness.

“Good morning, princess,” a mocking voice growled behind her. She couldn’t see clearly yet but instantly recognized the voice as Negaduck. 

He jolted her back by the hair and it felt as if her arms would just fall off. As much as she tried, Lily couldn’t suppress the scream. “Neg-” she tried to say but her throat was dry and swollen too. 

“Shhh,” Negaduck loosened his grip and gently stroked her head. “Be still, Barbie. I don’t want to hurt you more than necessary. Well, that’s not quite true, but hey, I am a forgiving man. You have one last chance. Tell me who Darkwing Duck is and where I can find him.” 

“F-fuck…y-you…” Lily stammered through the pain. 

Darkwing had watched this exchange from his hideout in a dark corner on top of iron bars. Seeing Lily like this infuriated him, but he tried not to give up his advantage. For a second, he fiddled with his cape and prepared a gas canister for his dramatic entrance but then he weighed the situation. _No, this is no time for a heroic intro. Negaduck could feel provoked and... it would be too dangerous, even for my taste,_ he decided. 

“He’s right here,” Darkwing said and jumped down. 

“No taste of your ‘special entrance’? I’m disappointed.” Negaduck grinned. “See that, dolly? You’re not even worth one lousy gas canister! Ha!” 

Darkwing was close enough to take a good look at Lily, and she looked terrible. Underneath the feather coat, he saw a blueish purple around her eyes, dried blood on her beak and dark patches all over her body. A surge of guilt rushed through his body, but his own hurt feelings washed those away. 

“What do you want, Negaduck?” Darkwing asked and approached them slowly. 

“Not so fast, lover boy!” Negaduck pulled out a knife. “We wouldn’t want any accidents now, do we? My hand could slip and-” The edge of his blade wandered across Lily’s belly in one swift motion. The fabric parted and a thin line of blood appeared underneath. Lily whimpered through gritted teeth. 

_“Stop!”_ Darkwing yelled. Even though he would never admit it, the purple clad mallard was shocked at the ruthlessness of his doppelgänger. “Just tell me! _What do you want?”_

“That face. I want to see your face when I do _this!”_ This time, he feinted another cut. Lily almost fainted when the anticipated pain failed to appear. 

“We’re j-just gonna st-stand here un-until you c-cut me t-to p-pieces?” Lily could barely speak anymore. 

“Oh, you sassy little _bitch!”_ Negaduck lost his temper and turned her around to punch her in the face again. 

Lily screamed from the pain and resulted in Darkwing’s adrenaline rush to kick in. He jumped forward and tackled Negaduck to the ground. The knife went flying and Darkwing sat on top of his nemesis, punching him in the face harder than ever. His hands engulfed the other mallard's neck and his pressure increased more and more. Negaduck replied by spitting a bloody tooth at the vigilante. 

“I didn’t know you had it in you! Ah, the violence in your eyes! What’s it gonna be now, Darky?!” Negaduck grinned. 

The realization hit him harder than he would have imagined and Darkwing let go of Negaduck’s neck and relaxed his muscles. The other drake used this moment to push Darkwing off him. He crawled over the floor and reached for the knife. 

“This has been fun, but let’s not forget why we’re here!” Negaduck yelled through his bloody beak. 

He threw the knife over Darkwing’s head and severed the rope Lily’s arms were attached to. She was able to balance for a split-second before falling. 

Darkwing didn’t think. He jumped over the railing and grabbed the rope. With a well practiced motion, he took out his grappling gun and the two of them flew across the room and landed safely on the ground floor. 

In the corner of his eye, Darkwing saw Negaduck vanishing through a window on the top floor. Lily laid in front of him, yelping and panting. It seemed like she looked into his eyes, but he couldn’t quite tell. With his own spare pocket knife, Darkwing cut through the ropes on her wrists and legs, Lily let out a high pitched scream with every limb that was finally free again. The rope left purplish red marks on her skin. She was shaking and tried to lean on her hands but fell down several times before finally managing to sit up. 

“D- Dark-” she started, but then gulped when thick tears ran down her beak. 

Darkwing pushed his first impulse aside. To take her into his arms, tell her everything would be alright and that he would be there. No. She betrayed him, ran into Negaduck’s arms and paid the price. He sighed and withdrew his hand. 

“Can you stand?” he asked harshly. 

Lily tried holding onto him but he moved aside. He could clearly see that it cost her her last bit of strength but she managed to hold herself up. _You’re so brave,_ he thought for a second but only nodded. 

When he turned around to walk out the door, she screamed after him. “DARKWING, WAIT! PLEASE!” He did a half turn and saw her falling onto her knees again. _No,_ he scolded himself, _just walk away from her. Her and all the madness she brings._

He heard her crying and screaming his name but continued walking into the bright sunlight. 


	20. Chapter 20

Lily crawled more than she walked out of the sewage plant and hid in a dark corner across the street. She was glad that Negaduck didn’t take her phone. She blinked several times trying to read the text through the throbbing eyelids. Finally she found the chat she was looking for. 

_ Hey Diego, can I crash once more? _ She wrote.

_ Sorry, but no. Ro told me about you and Negaduck. I can’t risk that. Sorry, sis. I have to think of my kid.  _

Lily sighed and scrolled through her other chats. Bushroot’s name popped up but that would not only be too risky, but she was pretty sure he wouldn’t want to see her after their last encounter. 

Lily’s muscles tightened when she pulled her arms around herself for shelter. Every inch of her body was in various degrees of pain. After a few more breaths, she managed to get up again. She didn’t know what kept her from just staying there, probably the thought that her injuries were not fatal and she would have to get up eventually. She wasn’t quite sure what drove her to make her decision but she kept on walking one step at a time.

+++

_ What a day _ , Darkwing thought when he finally arrived through the mechanical armchairs. A message from Launchpad on the coffee table informed him that he and Gosalyn would be in the park to get his daughter’s mind off things. He had texted Launchpad that Lily was alright, though that was not quite the truth. 

Drake threw his costume aside without much thought. He slipped into the shower and let the water wash over him. His thoughts wandered to Lily’s beat-up face and regret wandered down his spine in cold shivers. He shouldn’t have let her alone out there, but his anger and hurt pride overwhelmed him.  _ After all this time, I found a woman I lo- eh, I like,  _ he frowned,  _ just my luck. Stay alone, Drake. You’re not made for this kind of life, anyway.  _

After the hot shower, Drake put on a fresh shirt he found in the dryer and walked up the stairs to his bedroom only to find his bedroom window open and his comforter moving slowly and regularly. He sighed and walked back down, getting his “patch-up-kit” as Gosalyn called it. 

“Lily,” he whispered when he was back in his room. He gently shook her shoulder. “Wake up.” 

She mumbled something he couldn’t understand. Up close, her wounds looked even worse. Drake helped her sit and then lifted the blanket. 

“D-Drake,” she whimpered. 

“Shhh,” he shook his head and sprayed disinfectant on a pad. 

He gently patted the blood from her beak while she hissed at the pain. She looked into his eyes but he was focused on her wounds. How many times had she patched  _ him _ up like this? They laughed or she scolded him, telling him to be more careful for her and Gosalyn’s sake. Now, no words were exchanged. 

She lifted her shirt so that he could take care of the cuts and put a bandage around her waist. When he put the tape around the final bandage, he finally looked at her. In his eyes were defeat, guilt, anger. 

“Did anyone see you?” he asked harshly. 

“N-no. I crawled through the window,” Lily replied, trying to touch him but he pushed her hand away. 

“Good, make sure it stays that way. Gosalyn is already heartbroken,” Drake said in a sharp tone. “Rest and then leave. I do not want to see you ever again.” 

“Drake…” she cried. 

“No, Lily. Spare me your foul words!” He got up and went out of the room and down the stairs.

His heart continued beating audibly in his earlobes when he lay down on the couch. A “thud” several minutes later signaled him that Lily must have jumped back out of the window. From the sound, she must have had a rough landing. His first impulse was to run to her, help her up and tell her to stay in bed. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to think of anything but her while the image of her bright smile and huge green eyes had burned itself into his mind. __

He scolded her imaginary face. _Go away! Stop occupying my brain!_ _What was I thinking, taking in a criminal like that? She could have endangered us all! How could I succumb to these primal urges after suppressing them for so long? Was it only that? Only the need for physical intimacy?_ As much as he wanted to say yes, he knew he would lie to himself. No, he wanted to be with her. Occasionally, Drake would catch himself thinking about the future. Their future. In his most romantic moments, he even fantasized about dropping to his knees, ring in hand, joining her with him in holy matrimony. Someday. Maybe? 

He thought of her beat-up face and frowned. Patching her up was not his first impulse. He wanted to kick her out right away but something inside him held him back. Some last bit of affection that wanted her to be safe, to be taken care of. 

_ Why did it have to end like this?  _ Drake buried his face under his hands and fought back the tears of rage, sadness and defeat. 

+++

Every step hurt, but Lily had to keep going. Negaduck might still be watching her. It was foolish of her to even come here!  _ Start using your stupid brain! _ she yelled at herself.  _ Why did I even come back here in the first place? It’s clear I’m not welcome!  _ And yet there was this impulse, this one last flicker of hope that they could just forgive and forget, start anew, and this time, she would make it right. But of course, someone like Drake would never submit to just hugging it out. 

Lily took a deep breath and felt a sharp pain in her side. “Shit,” she whispered, “I think I broke a rib. Fuck!” 

Salty tears ran down her face and beak, burning in her swollen eyes. She was all alone again, no ties to anyone, just like when she was eighteen and fresh out of the orphanage. With a quick glimpse into the bag she had picked up from Drake’s house, Lily estimated that she still had a few thousand dollars left from what she stole from Negaduck. Enough to pay rent for a few months and readjust. 

Lily looked back into Avian Way, to a blue house with a tiny front yard. It was nothing special, yet her whole world resided inside. Gosalyn, the daughter she wished she could’ve had. Launchpad, the friend who had accepted her for who she was.

And Drake, the mallard who opened up to her, taught her how to be better, how to be a good person even. He, in turn, had changed from an insufferable egomaniac into a sweet and caring boyfriend. 

_ I’m sorry it wasn’t enough. I hope you find someone who will be.  _

Lily slowly took her eyes off the house and turned around. The city of St. Canard greeted her with red clouds burning in the evening sky. 


End file.
